An Old Twist
by LillithBB
Summary: Just like in Harris's "Dead to the World," the fic begins on New Year's Eve, only when the witches show up, things play out a little differently. Eric gets to keep his memories this time round, but things still manage to fall to pieces. Will they be able to hold things together in light of an expected danger? A sequel to "Single and Defective" and "Instructions Not Included."
1. Chapter 1

A/N: As some of you may know, I had not planned to write a third fic, but a very angry muse visited me with an idea that would not leave me alone. As with my first two fics, I will stay close to cannon with a few major detail changes that tend to change things in major ways. Thank you to all my readers who have loyally stuck with me from the beginning. I started this as a one shot, with no real intention of continuing, and now I have written 40 chapters. Your reviews have been a driving force behind my continued writing. I hope I can keep you interested through this book as well!

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Sookie had been to a New Year's Eve party before, but none quite so memorable. Fangtasia was decked out in an Old Hollywood theme that made her wonder if Eric had given Pam free rein for a night. Whether it was the décor or the slogan "Come End Your Year with a Bite", something had apparently worked because the place was even more packed than usual. It was a little surprising the fire marshal hadn't shown up. Sam had been so unfortunate one year. With a twinge of guilt, the waitress thought of Merlotte's and how busy it probably was. Hopefully Luna was making some good tips. Sookie had invited her along for New Year's, but the were had said a few choice words in reply that her housemate had taken as a no.

For the past several years, she had worked at Merlotte's rather than spend the night at home, the tips were good, and Gran hadn't stayed up to watch the ball drop since Sookie graduated from high school. It was less lonely being at the bar, even if it meant putting up with even more than usual. Now, she could finally get her first New Year's kiss. The prospect had filled her with excitement for a solid week. If anyone had asked, she would not have been able to explain what exactly made a kiss at precisely midnight when it was changing from one year to another more special than any other; it just was.

With that in mind, she clung happily to Eric's arm. Public displays of affection were few and far between at Fangtasia. The thoughts it aroused in the patrons made Sookie uncomfortable, and she knew it was bad for business. However, tonight almost every vampire from the area had been called in, even Godric was there to share in his child's success. And it was quite a year to celebrate. They had all survived some pretty major events in the last few months, and they were still together and happy. Sookie had a boyfriend and a couple new family members: Pam, the too cool cousin, and Godric the father/older brother, and maybe Luna was beginning to attach herself to the family. Even if Godric was still the only vampire she would refer to by name, the new year was looking pretty good from where Sookie stood and her band of merry misfits.

Eric looked absolutely edible in his tux, and Sookie had worn her dress from Jackson after a brief "discussion" with her boyfriend. For a man whose wardrobe only varied from jeans and a black top to jeans and dark blue top (and one pair of red underwear that made Sookie's mouth water), he seemed to think that she should never repeat an outfit. They finally compromised that he could buy her a new dress for the next big party he threw since the old dress would still be new to him, having never gotten to see it on her.

His reaction to seeing her all dolled up was worth the fight. When she arrived, he had threatened to take her back to his office, but she had gotten him to dance instead. That had not helped the situation, and the wicked part of her had known it wouldn't. His sense of duty to the club was almost inspiring, but she did remind have him several times that there was always later, which elicited replies of what exactly he planned to do to her later. If the place had not been so mobbed with people, Sookie might have died from mortification knowing that the other vampires in the room could probably hear. Luckily, she could not see them through the throng of people.

"Ten…"

"Nine…"

"Eight…"

She joined in the counting, smiling up at Eric.

"Seven…"

"Six…"

"Five…"

His hand cupped her face as he joined in as well, though she was fairly certain it was in German.

"Four/Vier…"

"Three/Drei…"

"Two/Zwei…"

"One/Eins…"

She had no chance to wish anyone a Happy New Year as Eric's lips captured her own. Strong hands were lifting her off her feet, drawing her closer, and it really was all the more special for the time. As she wrapped her own arms around his neck, Eric's silence blocked out every invasive thought that might have ruined the moment. They may as well have been alone, like one of those movies, when the camera focuses on the main characters and everyone else just disappears. Only when Sookie opened her eyes again, they were all still there. It didn't matter; Eric's genuine smile made her feel like the only girl in the room.

"And now, madam…" The boss got to cut out early. They had already arranged to stay till midnight, then leave. Eric had some business later that night, but he was going to fly back for it once Sookie was asleep. Only Eric's eyes no longer read excited about the night ahead, but angry.

"They are early." Godric spoke from beside them.

"Damn it." Eric slowly lowered her to the ground as if nothing was wrong, only she had noticed that several of the other vampires had started making their way over.

The new year looked pretty good except for the small witch issue. That was the business Eric was supposed to come back to deal with. Godric had told her a little bit about it, even though Eric was against it.

"Sookie, go ahead home, and I will meet you there."

"I could stay and help, you know."

Eric looked like he was about to outright refuse when Godric laid a gentle hand on her arm. "It would be safer for you not to associate with these people. As I mentioned, the leaders are Weres, so your gift will not be reliable with them. We will see you before the night is out." Godric's way of saying everything would be alright. The smile and gentle squeeze her gave her arm was more comforting that his words.

She looked between the two determined men. If either of them showed a shadow of doubt, she would find a way to stay, but they didn't. "Fine." She conceded with only a minimal pout.

"Pam will escort you to your car." Better her than Chow, in Sookie's opinion.

"Shall we?" Godric hugged her good-bye with a platonic kiss on her forehead, and then Eric placed another kiss on her lips with unspoken promises of what was to come. She had to shake off the shiver that ran down her whole body before she could focus once more. It was a little strange for Godric to take such an interest in Eric's business, but Sookie was not about to come in between them. Instead, she went to Pam, who was standing beside the door to the back with Sookie's fur coat. She could see Eric's head above the crowd, but not who he was talking to. If they could resolve this quickly, maybe she and Eric could still spend some quality time together.

"That dress looks scrumptious on you."

"Thank you, Pam." Better to take the compliments you could get with her. "You did a great job decorating the place."

"Not that these plebeians appreciate it." Sookie was proud to know she had guessed correctly as to the decorator. "I could have handed out fake vampire teeth and they would have been excited."

"Well, I love the feel. It brings a certain class to the place."

"Thank you, Sookie. You really are my favorite human." Ah, another Pam compliment, such a wonderful evening.

They had made it to the parking lot without incident, so Sookie slipped into the driver seat, while Pam helped tuck in the extra fabric from her full skirt.

"Make sure one of them call me once this is all over."

"You will be the first to know."

As she drove off the lot, Sookie tried to do some math. Was the time it would take her to drive home greater than, less than, or equal to the amount of time it would take Eric to deal with the witches plus fly to her house? Unfortunately, she didn't know a very important variable to her equation. How long does it take to deal with witches? Godric had not been very specific about the whole situation, but it was more than she had gotten from Eric.

The witches had moved into town and wanted a piece of Eric's business. Some sort of blackmail was involved, them threatening to run his business into the ground and what not. A second proposal had been given later which Godric had been surprisingly tight-lipped about, but the general consensus seemed to be that it was a no go. Both vampires in her life seemed oddly alright with the fact that they were about to tell some Were-witches to affectively screw themselves, but if they were confident, she would just have to be confident in them.

She did not know much about witches. In fact, she had not actually thought they existed until Godric had told her. Every time she learned something new about the supernatural world, she lost a little respect for fiction writers. Apparently, they weren't as creative as they all thought they were… or maybe they were all Supes writing non-fiction?

When she got home, there was no sign of Luna's car, which meant she was probably still cleaning up at Merlotte's. That helped a lot if Sookie wanted any privacy. She should have just stayed at Eric's, but it was too late now that she had driven all the way home. It was lucky that Luna worked so many nights because the were was not as good at making herself scarce as Godric was. Next time someone wanted to move in with her, Sookie would have to make sure to have that question on the application. She tucked her coat in close and made her way through the back door.

Now, she was faced with a dilemma. Stay in the dress until Eric got there to let him take it off her or get comfortable because she had no idea how long it was going to take. There were no messages on her house phone, so if Pam did as promised, then they were still in their meeting. Sookie decided to give him a half hour. If she hadn't heard anything by then, she would change. It seemed fair.

Fifteen minutes later, her phone was ringing.

"Eric, you on your way yet? I'm not staying in this dress forever." She tried to make her voice sexy, but Eric had always been better at the double entendres.

"Sookie, something has gone wrong. Godric has disappeared." Eric sounded… panicked? Eric didn't do panic.

"What do you mean disappeared?" She tried to keep her own voice calm rather than add to his, but she wasn't quite sure of her success.

"I mean he was standing right here beside me, and now he is gone."

"Hold on." Sooke experienced the strangest sensation. While at home, she kept all her shields down so she would know when anyone, or anything approached. Only a void had just popped up on from her front porch. There was no approach, no movement towards there, just… bloop. There. "I think he may be here."

Sookie rushed as quickly as the dress allowed to the front, swinging open the door. "Yeah, it's him, hurry over!" She said excitedly, as far as bad things happening from a witch encounter, at least he had just been transported. He could have ended up fighting a dragon, mute, or turned into a frog. That is, if Disney is a reliable source on witches.

She leaned out to wrap him in a quick hug. Only, he didn't hug her back. When they first met, that wouldn't have been weird, but lately, Godric had been showing his affection for her hugs and even the occasional chaste kiss.

"Godric?" She asked, backing up a step into the house to give him space. Maybe witchy teleportation takes some recovery.

He cocked his head to the side in a sharp movement, studying her, then leaned forward to breathe deeply of the air she had previously occupied as so many vampires had done before.

"My, you do smell good. Godric, you called me?"

Sookie took another step back… something was not right. He was smiling, but it wasn't a Godric smile. It was predatory.

"You are frightened… and you have had my blood. Very interesting. I wonder…" Hesitantly, he picked up a foot and put it inside the doorway. A huge, terrifying grin took over his whole face. Godric had never looked more vampiric, not even with a bloodstained hand from killing Lorena. He moved fully into the entry hallway, and Sookie took another step back, keeping the same distance between them. Having seen him in action, she knew it was useless, but her body was acting on its own.

Some instinctual part of her had taken over, recognizing the danger in the man that had become almost like a father to her. "Godric, you are no longer welcome in my house." Luckily, her mind was still working, and the words spilled from her lips almost incoherently, but Eric had once told her it was more about the intention than the actual words.

For a second, he look disappointed, and they both waited for something to happen. Sookie had never un-invited a vampire before, but she had always imagined them falling over and being dragged out by some invisible force. Godric hadn't moved.

His disappointment quickly turned to triumph. "Very interesting indeed."

Sookie's jaw dropped as Godric took another step towards her. Eric told her that would work. She had been careful who she invited into her house now, but he said that she could always rescind an invitation. Godric had apparently lost his mind, and she was not safe in her own house. Sookie knew running was useless, but she could feel the muscles in her legs bunching, ready to spring. It felt like being trapped in a horror movie, where the killer is always walking, but no matter how fast you run, you can't seem to escape him.

"Do you have any idea how wonderful you smell when you are scared?" Godric's fangs snapped down. "I will have to try and not drain you. Unfortunately, I find myself very thirsty." The apologetic look on his face lacked all sincerity, but no scream would leave her lips as Godric took another step towards her, his smile all the more sinister for his fangs.

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MUAHAHAHA!

I love my cliffhangers! Hope you all do... this should be a fun twist!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I always found Eric's transformation a little questionable. I mean, I loved it because of the end result, but if the only thing you can remember about yourself is that you are a vampire, I fail to see how that turns you into a kitten. With that in mind, I decided that once you stripped away all the years of understanding and learned empathy from Godric, you got something much more primitive… hence my version of a memory-wiped vampire.

P.S. I am surprised at all of you for not realizing why rescinding Godric's invitation didn't work. It's as if you all never read the books, or maybe, like me, you dislike re-reading the parts with Appius in it!

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Sookie had always heard that at the end, your life was supposed to flash before your eyes. She had already endured two near death experiences in the last year, three if you count the car crash as well as the fact that the people at the fellowship were planning to kill her. However, she had not seen a single vision from her past. In every case, she had seen only one thing, just as now. Eric's face filled her vision, and she sent a silent prayer he would somehow make it in time.

"It's Eric! Rescind Eric's invitation!" A woman's voice called from Sookie's living room. It definitely wasn't Luna; in fact, the telepath was fairly certain she had never heard such a musical voice in her life. When she turned a tall, gorgeous woman she had never seen before was standing in her once empty living room.

"Fairy…" Godric's eyes lit up with a fanatical light. For a moment, he seemed caught between the easy prey in front of him and this new creature who had provoked his interest. Sookie was not going to waste the opportunity of his hesitation.

"Ericandallothervampiresaren'twelcomehere." She didn't think she had ever spoken so fast in her life. Godric had taken a step towards her, arms out as if to choke her, but he stopped just as suddenly, some invisible wall in his way. Sookie watched his upper body strain towards her as his feet carried him back outside one backward step at a time. It might have been funny had it not followed a near death experience.

She collapsed against the wall she had not realized she had reached in her retreat. Just outside her still open door, Godric was staring right at her. His face did not hold the anger she had expected, but something closer to cold calculation. Sookie tried to drop her eyes but could not. She had given Godric her blood, shared her home with him, and forged a bond as strong as family, but she did not recognize this creature in her doorway.

"Invite me in." Her head ached with the impact of his attempted glamour. Godric had never tried it on her before, and his strength was almost overwhelming. She just shook her head at him, unable to speak. Only then did anger twist his usually calm face, and her house shook as his fist met with her door frame.

"Goodnight vampire. Do not bother Sookie again." The dark-haired angel who had probably saved her life, closed the door on Godric's angry face.

Blocking out the sounds of whatever Godric might be destroying outside in his frustration, Sookie allowed herself to be ushered into the living room where the woman sat her on the couch. Maybe if she put her head between her knees that spinning feeling would disappear, but looking at the well-put together woman in tight brown pants and a cream sweater, Sookie did not want to do anything so undignified, even if her skirt would have allowed for it.

Life as she knew and enjoyed it, had just been turned on its head in the span of a few minutes. Godric had just tried to attack her. Emotion seemed appropriate. There probably should have been tears, but her eyes were dry. Maybe it was the shock. Her savior sat uncomfortably close for a stranger, but when she put her arm around Sookie, the telepath no longer minded. Some part of her brain registered that she only got a buzzing from this woman's mind, but it seemed highly unimportant in the light of everything else.

The woman rubbed Sookie's back comfortingly but said nothing for a while. Once Sookie finally managed to relax, it was time to get some information.

"Not that I'm not grateful you showed up just in time, thank you for that, by the way, but who exactly are you?"

"I'm Claudia." Given what had just transpired, Sookie didn't think it was right of the woman to smile, but there she was, looking as pleased as punch. It wasn't until the waitress spoke again that she realized she was smiling as well. The woman, Claudia, was contagious.

"Alright, well then, _what_ are you?"

"Godric has already provided you with that answer." She replied with a wink.

It took her a moment to play everything back in her head. His words were hardly as important as his actions had been. "A fairy?" Disbelief was heavy in her voice.

"Yes, you can think of me as your… fairy godmother if you will."

Sookie scooted away from her on the couch, studying Claudia seriously. If this was a Supe version of a joke, Sookie wasn't laughing. Going over her last year, she felt a severe lack of a fairy godmother. To be fair, she had definitely managed to get the Prince, but that was all on her own… He he he, Prince Eric. Did that make her Ariel? The waitress squashed the silly line of thinking. Now was not the time for hysterics. If she had wanted those, she should have gone through with them before she started discussing things rationally.

"I'm sorry, but I kind of find that hard to believe." The explanation came only when she was sure there would be no giggles.

"You haven't made it easy, that's for sure. Doing things like this, popping up out of the blue, takes a lot of my power. Which reminds me, try to stay out of trouble for a bit while I recover." With bloodthirsty Godric on the loose, Sookie wasn't sure what she could promise, but she nodded anyway. It wasn't like she planned on almost dying again any time soon. "My job was a lot easier before you became involved with vampires."

"Yeah, I can see that." As much joy as they had brought her, vampires had definitely complicated things. Even the murder of her Gran had been connected to vampires, even if it was committed by a human.

"But I have helped in little ways here and there."

"Really?" She tried not to sound so surprised, but it failed.

"Do you remember that time the Were attacked you in your home?"

"Of course." How could she forget? She had played the encounter over and over in her mind. It had been providence that she had escaped. Providence and… "Lip gloss."

"That's right."

"You're the one who put the lip gloss on the stairs."

"I had not meant to kill him. In fact, that set me back a little, but since it saved you it mostly evened out."

Sookie was suddenly very lost again. "I'm sorry. I don't understand anything you are saying."

"That's alright. Things in my world are a little complicated." Apparently, that was true for all supernatural creatures. "And tonight is not the night to get into all of that. Godric must have been satisfied we would not be venturing outside for the time being."

Momentarily confused by the sudden subject change, Sookie finally realized that the void was gone from outside. The last bit of tension she had been holding in leaked from her shoulders. At least for now, she was safe in her own home.

"What happened to Godric? He didn't know who he was."

"_That_ I do not know. You are my charge, but I do not keep track of the vampires. It is safer that way."

"Do vampires and fairies not get along?" The Supernatural world was beginning to look even more prejudiced than the one Sookie had been raised in. Bad Were/vampire relations and even Were versus Shifter.

"Oh no. In fact, we have had some terrible wars in the past which have greatly decreased the numbers of both races. But then, it is much easier for vampires to replenish there numbers. Oh dear, there I go again, getting into fairy politics when you have had such a fright." Sookie allowed herself to be wrapped up in another hug. Claudia's hugs reminded her of her Gran.

"What?" The fairy asked when Sookie stiffened in her arms.

"He's back." She whispered.

Both woman waited silently. They knew he could not get into the house, but that did not mean he was powerless.

"Sookie, I cannot get in. What is going on?" Eric's voice called to her from the back.

Claudia remained seated while Sookie flew to the back door. Well, as close to flying as a plain old human can get. She opened the door so she could see him, but she did not step outside.

"Oh Eric." She wanted nothing more than to step out and be wrapped up in those arms. Claudia's hugs might have been comforting, but nothing made her feel as safe as being in Eric's arm. Unfortunately, Godric was fast, and she did not know how far her mental range extended. Which meant, she had no way of knowing where he was and more importantly, how far away he was. Maybe she and Eric could do some experiments with that when they weren't in danger. It would be a nice, mundane change.

Eric's pupils dilated as the air from her house washed over him. For a moment, Sookie was worried that he was lost as well, but then he seemed to gain control of himself once more.

"Why do you smell like fairy?" His voice betrayed only a tightly controlled calm when he finally spoke.

"Um, my fairy godmother showed up to save me." It was one of those statements that sounds more like a question, but Claudia had not told her to keep it a secret. Judging by his facial expression, Sookie was pretty sure that meant more to Eric than it had to her, but they had moved on before she could ask.

"Save you from what?"

"Godric." The name sheepishly left her lips. Even having seen it, it was still hard to think she would need saving from someone so sweet.

"Is that why you rescinded my invitation?"

"Claudia popped in just in time to tell me."

"That was lucky. The bond between a maker and his progeny is so strong that where one is allowed, the other is as well."

"That might've been a good thing to tell me sooner, Eric." She was much too drained to work up any real anger.

"Yes, well, I did not think it would be important. How could I have ever imagined that Godric would attack you?"

"He didn't know who I was. I don't even think he knew who _he_ was, or at least not that his name was Godric. Eric, he was going to drain me." It hurt her to say the words. Sure, Godric had taken her blood a few times since Jackson, but he needed so little to survive at his age, it was more like getting her finger pricked. After seeing the look in his eye tonight, she had no doubt he would have taken every last drop.

"The witches…" Eric's eyes were burning with so much hatred that Sookie found herself frightened even though she knew it was not directed at her.

"Eric, you need to tell me what happened. I'm involved now whether you want me to be or not."

"Meet me on the front porch. You will be safe there, and I can hold you." That sounded wonderful, and she was grateful he had not asked her to re-invite him in. As much as she wanted to, it wasn't safe.

"Alright, give me a second to change into something warmer."

"That would be good, those clothes smell too strongly of fairy."

"What is it with you all and fairies? Godric went crazy at the sight of her as well."

"They are… delicious." She probably have expected that given the vampire's reaction, but it still took her by surprise.

"I'll definitely change." Sookie shut the door and returned to the living room, but Claudia had disappeared, which was probably for the best.

Once back in her bedroom, Sookie stripped down and even did a quick wash of her arms and face. She needed Eric to explain things to her, not to want to bite her. It would take too long to wash her hair, but she put it up and covered it with some hairspray, hoping to distort the scent. Only then she did pick out a horrible sweat suit that would keep her warm on the chilly January night. No way were she and Eric going at it on the porch, so she was past the point of wanting to look good.

Finally, she grabbed her ugly old coat and stepped out onto the front porch. Her breath hitched as when she was mobbed by strong arms, but she immediately relaxed when she realized it was Eric.

"Keep listening. He is faster than I am, but I can have you inside before he gets too close."

She nodded into his chest. Part of her wanted to ask 'then what?' Even if he might not remember it, Godric was Eric's maker. Not only was Eric not physically capable of stopping Godric, despite his larger build, Eric would never do anything to endanger his maker. Sookie knew that as surely as she knew that she loved Eric. Now the question was, would Eric ever be able to put her before Godric? It had never really concerned her before because she and Godric usually wanted the same thing anyway. Now, they didn't. Sookie wanted to live and Godric wanted to suck her blood. Eric couldn't keep them both happy.

"What happened tonight?" It was the only question she could bring herself to ask.

When Eric moved, she tried to ignore the fist sized hole that was missing from the door frame, but she couldn't help but wonder what other damages had occurred while Claudia comforted her. He sat her down on the porch swing without ever letting go, the front door left open behind her. Apparently, he planned to chuck her back inside if need be. Her heating bill could take the hit if it kept her safe.

"Godric told you the witches wanted a large cut of my profits from Fangtasia." Sookie nodded. "Well, what he probably did not tell you is that the lead witch, Hallow, came back with another proposal." He had mentioned it, but she decided not to interrupt. Eric was obviously about to tell her more about it than she knew. "She had taken a… liking to him and had offered to reduce the amount of her cut if Godric would spend a week with her."

Sookie blushed for them both. It wasn't that Godric was _un_attractive; she simply had a hard time thinking of him _that way_. Girls at Fangtasia had definitely showed interest in the past, but it struck her as odd that if all you were looking for was someone good-looking to warm your bed, you would go for Godric over Eric. Then again, maybe she was a little biased. Had Eric said that this Hallow woman was looking for someone to talk to, or a kind spirit, Godric would have won hands down, but for sheer sex appeal, Sookie was fairly certain any woman would pick Eric. Not that she planned on saying as much to Eric, but something about that didn't seem right.

"I'm guessing he refused." Godric was not the type to be okay with selling his body… would Eric have, if the roles had been reversed? She was pretty sure he wouldn't. Even if his pride hadn't gotten in the way, they had discussed Sookie's need for a closed relationship. He could act as playboy as much as he like at Fangtasia, but it had to fall short of any action.

"He was not keen to the idea. The delegation that was sent to hear our reply had not expected a refusal." He paused for a moment. "Things did not go well. I am afraid that I lost my cool and killed one of the witches after a particularly crude comment about Godric. Hallow must have spelled them because that is when Godric disappeared. When I received your phone call, I thought that everything would be alright. I do not know why he reappeared here, but I am afraid we must consider him dangerous for the time being. He has gone by Godric for some time now, if he has forgotten that, who knows what else he has forgotten."

She had never thought that Godric might not be his real name. As close as she considered them, there were still things about Godric that she didn't know. "He certainly remembered that he was a vampire. And he could still tell that he had my blood."

"I see, that is very important." She wasn't sure if it was good important or bad important. "I would take you to my house, but he could very well track you there. It is not owned by a human, so he would not require an invitation in. I am afraid that I must ask you to stay in at night. You will be safest here where he cannot glamour an invitation. Tell the Shifter if you must, to get out of work." She took that to mean Sam. Of course, Luna would have to know if she was going to stay there. Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea, Luna! She had completely forgotten about her other housemate.

"Give me a sec." She rushed back inside to grab her cell phone and dialed Luna's number. She was afraid it was going to voicemail, but Luna finally picked up.

"Hey Chica, what's up?" She sounded a little breathless, but the greeting was normal enough.

"Where are you?" Sookie couldn't quite drum up a casual tone for the question.

"Still at Merlotte's. Why?" The party must have been extra rowdy this year if Luna was still there cleaning up, but Sookie was glad Sam wasn't there doing it by himself.

"Some vampire drama. Sam nearby?"

"Yeah, hold on."

She heard some shifting around, which must have been Luna walking over to wherever Sam was. He sounded as if he had been working just as hard. They had probably just got done moving all the chairs for sweeping. "Hey Cher."

"Hey Sam, look, I got a huge favor to ask. Any chance Luna could stay at your place tonight? I don't really want her travelling back over here while the sun is down." The meaning behind that was unmistakable, but she waited while Sam processed it.

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. Everything alright over there?"

"Not really, but I am safe here. I'll come over tomorrow and tell y'all both what's going on."

"Alright, take care of yourself."

"Will do, and thanks Sam."

"Anytime, Cher." Feeling better that her friend was safe, Sookie returned to the front porch. Eric had probably heard the whole conversation.

"Wasn't sure what would happen if someone drove here." She sat back down next to him and tucked herself under his arm. "Luckily, I am the only one that Godric has taken blood from in a long time, so he shouldn't be tracking down anyone else."

"We will fix this, Sookie, I swear." She nodded, glad to hear the 'we.' Eric must have finally accepted her involvement.

"I just hope he doesn't do anything he will regret in the mean time."

Eric winced at her words. "I hope that too."

They sat in silence, both enjoying the presence of the other. Sookie should have been scared. After all, she was outside where a memory-less vampire who wanted to drain her was loose with his progeny who probably wouldn't even be able to try and defend her. Things were bad, and she had that terrible feeling that they were only going to get worse. So she leaned farther into Eric, enjoying the last little moment of peace.

"I don't want to leave, Sookie."

"But you have to." She finished for him, his shirt muffling her words. "I understand."

"Please promise me you will stay inside. It isn't safe for you right now."

"I know, trust me. I will be safely indoors before the sun sets and will keep myself there until it pops back up again." Who knew she would be volunteering for house arrest? "Do you think he will come back?"

Eric gave the question some serious contemplation. While Sookie appreciated that he wasn't laughing it off, the suspense was killing her. "When I first met Godric, I was already dying from a wound I had received in battle. He killed my comrades for no other reason than they were not the ones he had chosen. He had seen me on the battlefield and appreciated the ferocity with which I fought. He has greatly changed over the thousand years since, but one thing has not changed. When he forms an attachment, it is strong. He may not remember who you are, but it is not a coincidence that this is where he reappeared. So yes, I believe he will come back."

"I thought so too." Her voice was quiet. She had seen Godric kill before, but it had been to protect her. Senseless murder reminded her much more of the Godric that had visited earlier. What if she never got her Godric back?

"I need to return to Fangtasia, we have to begin planning now."

"Right." She nodded but did not move.

Eric moved for them both. He set her just in front of her doorway. The knowledge that he could not take another step forward left her saddened. It was going to make for some very long nights if they could never be inside together. She leaned her head up for a kiss, and for just a minute, all her concerns were melted away by the heat of Eric's lips on her own. When he finally broke away, Sookie took the single step back that put her out of every vampire's reach, including the two vampires she loved.

"I will call you tomorrow night. I love you." The words were still like magic.

"I love you too Eric!"

"Oh, and Sookie?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I may owe you a new car."

* * *

A/N: Not to toot my own horn, but I honestly think this might be my favorite twist so far (besides maybe killing Bill). It just makes things so damn complicated!

**Anywho, please review! A fan fic writer cannot live on self-worship alone. That's why we post these things!**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry about the delay, I took a week off work for the holidays and forgot to send the draft from my work computer to myself. I am going ahead and posting this chapter. Originally, New Year's Day was going to be posted in two chapter, but now it will take three.

Enjoy!

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On New Year's Day, Merlotte's didn't open until 4 PM. Usually, Sookie did not work because she had worked the night before but not this year. Still, she would have been grateful for a few more hours sleep, but the sun had not been up long before she felt someone shaking her awake. Sookie shot up out of bed, not really sure what she was going to do, or how Godric had gotten into her room during daylight hours.

"Oh good, Sook, you're alright!"

"Luna…?" Sookie looked down at the small shifter who was pacing a circle around her fellow waitress, looking for any injuries. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, sneaking in like that!"

"Yeah, well, imagine Sam telling you that your friend might be in trouble but you can't come make sure that she is alright until sun-up? Then imagine that friend doesn't answer her cell phone when you call to check in!" Sookie had never even heard it ring she was so tired. "What was I supposed to think but that your damn vamp had gotten you sucked into some of his trouble again!"

Unfortunately, she wasn't so off the mark that Sookie could be indignant. Well, she was still a little indignant, but she knew she shouldn't be. "Oh right because vampires are the only ones who ever do anything dangerous… like spy on the Fellowship of the Sun."

"Ladies, you two going to argue all morning, or can y'all come out here so Sookie can tell us what is going on?" Sam called from outside her bedroom door. She appreciated that he had not barged in her bedroom as well.

Luna huffed but did not resume the argument. Fortunately for their friendship, vampires were the only real point of contention between the two women; unfortunately, vampires were a big part of Sookie's life.

"I'll start the coffee if you want to throw some clothes on." Luna left without waiting from confirmation from her roommate, but at least she was going to make coffee.

In the end, Sookie decided against the sweat suit from the night before. While shifters had very good senses of smell, she wasn't sure if they could distinguish between vampires, and when she told them she was attacked by one, she didn't want to smell like a vampire as well. Instead, she went ahead and dressed for the day. She would have waited until it was time for her to dress for work, but considering Merlotte's opened at 4 PM on New Year's and the sun would be down not two hours after that, she doubted she would be working.

With jeans and a Bon Temps High sweatshirt on, she went out to face her friends. No doubt this news would be as shocking to them as it had been to her. Sam was in her living room, building up a fire from kindling, but she momentarily bypassed him in favor of coffee. Once she had that steaming cup of liquid life in her hands, she was finally ready to face the day, albeit short a few more hours of sleep than she had planned.

Luna sat with Sookie on the couch, and Sam scooted over a chair until he was right in front of them, forming a small circle. Sookie felt safer for having her friends near. It was so nice to have people she could talk about these things with. Sure, they didn't know everything about her involvement with vampires, but she could tell them things that Alrene or Tara, even Jason, would never understand.

"Some witches have moved into Shreveport." Neither of them batted an eye at the word witch, but then, Sookie had not expected that part to be a surprise. "Oh, and they are Weres." Sookie put specific emphasis on the word so they would get the capital W from her tone. That caught their attention; the little w "were" and the shifter looked at each other, some silent conversation over the implications passing between them. Their thoughts were not plain to her, but both were obviously anxious.

"But I thought the problem was vampires? Witches can come out any time, not just at night." Sam finally spoke up, once he and Luna looked back at Sookie.

"Yeah, well, they were threatening Eric's business. They were meeting last night to discuss everything, and apparently, the witches had been spelled in case something should happen to them. Negotiations went awry, and one of them was killed." No need to mention it was Eric. Sookie had a feeling had the witch insulted anyone but Godric, Eric would have been more than capable of keeping his cool. "When he was killed, Godric must have been cursed because he disappeared and reappeared on my door step… only he doesn't remember anything."

"He doesn't remember anything?" Sam repeated her words, asking for confirmation.

"Nothing except that he's a vampire. He definitely remembers he's a vampire." She shivered at the memory of his face as he walked towards her.

Luna's arm had snaked over Sookie's shoulders at some point. "Sookie, did he hurt you?" Luna's voice was much softer than usual. She and Godric got along as well as Godric got along with everyone, but Luna also knew how close Sookie and Godric were.

"No, but not for lack of trying. Eric is afraid that he'll come back tonight. I'm sorry, Sam, but I really shouldn't be out of my house once the sun is down. Just makes things too dangerous, which means I won't be able to work tonight."

"I understand, Cher, but I think you and Luna should come stay with me for a while since Godric knows where this place is. Or maybe ask that brother of yours to take you in."

"Godric's had my blood, so he'll be able to find me if I go somewhere else." That was news to both of the Supes in the room, but they seemed to take it well. It helped that Godric was… well, Godric. "But if it's alright with you, I think Luna should stay with you until this blows over."

"I'm not leaving you like that!" Luna jumped up from her seat, appalled by the suggestion.

"Look Luna, I really appreciate that you want to stay here and help me through this, but no offense, there ain't much you can do against Godric anyway. Not much any of us can do really. Anyone who stays here is just one more person who could get hurt. I'll be sitting snug here inside this house until Eric finds a way to break this curse or whatever. Besides, we can't leave Sam two waitresses down every night."

Sookie watched Luna begin to waver. The spitfire from Texas wanted to argue some more, Sookie could tell, but Sam had to reached out to touch her arm. The mental image that Sookie got from Luna's head was… graphic. Usually, Sookie didn't get anything more than feelings from Luna, but the girl was thinking about one thing pretty earnestly as Sam's hand trailed down her arm before falling away.

"Oh…" Sookie had not even realized she was standing until she looked down at Sam and then back to Luna. The flirtations had been evident to everyone at Merlotte's, but she had not realized… Luna and Sam both looked around, as if Godric might have snuck in while they were distracted, but her blush must have finally clued them in. Sam bolted up, clearly torn in his reaction but joining Sookie in her blush.

"Sook, I was going to tell you, but it just kind of happened last night. Then you called right in the middle…" Luna stopped as soon as she realized the detail she had shared. Apparently, they hadn't been moving chairs after all. "And you were so worried, we didn't think it was the right time." Luna had said 'we' the second time. That was serious.

It was definitely her turn to say something, but she was in a bit of shock. It is one thing to find out that two of your friends are sleeping together. It is another thing entirely to see it from your friend's point of view. Sure, she had seen Sam naked before, but they hadn't been doing _that_ at the time. Context was everything.

"Sookie, we didn't mean to spring this on you, but I've liked Luna for a while now." Did that mean the three weeks she had been in Bon Temps, or did he already have feelings for her when all they did was chat online? Luna had certainly talked about Sam a lot, even in that first week. It was not these thoughts that finally broke her stupor, but the worry that was coming in waves from her friends.

"Sorry, just didn't think I'd get a front row seat to your love life. But I am really happy for you both!" And she truly meant it. She and Luna were quickly on their way to becoming good friends, so she knew her roommate would be good to Sam. And Sam definitely deserved that. "If nothing else, I, at least, don't have to worry about her trying to kill me like that maenad."

"You dated a maenad?" Sookie wasn't sure if Luna sounded appalled or impressed, but she felt sorry for opening that can of worms. She had only meant to lighten the mood. Before Sam had to cover his tracks too much, Sookie butted back in.

"I guess that means you're alright with staying at Sam's house for a few days."

"Yeah, I think I can suffer through it, and it will give us time to talk about exes." Suddenly, Sam didn't look so excited about the prospect of a sleepover. The telepath had to wonder if their single date would put her on the list.

"It's settled then. Just think, you're commute'll be a lot shorter."

"Cher, you might still want to talk to Jason."

"You're right. He does like to show up here at random intervals. Who knows when he might pop by?" She probably should have thought of that sooner, but there was a lot on her mind.

"Not just that…" Sam looked reluctant to bring up whatever the situation was.

"He went home with a shifter last night." Luna was not quite so reluctant. It was a testament to her life that Sookie had imagined much worse than Jason sleeping with a girl who might turn into a lion, tiger, or bear… oh my!

"Yeah, I guess it might be time he and I had a little talk. He's doing pretty good with vampires these days, maybe it is time he knows about Weres as well."

"Speaking of Weres, have you told Alcide any of this?"

"Hadn't even thought about it…" Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, maybe she should just make a vampire emergency call list.

"Ya'll are on speaking terms again, right?" Sam looked a little wary of the subject, and Sookie couldn't blame him. For having known each other such a short time, they had already been through several ups and downs.

"Yeah, everything's fine between us."

"Good, cause if these witches really are Weres, then Alcide's pack should know about it."

"You're probably right. I'll give him a call."

"Is that really the type of conversation you should have over the phone?"

"No, I guess not." Of course, she realized that was true, but it seemed strange for Sam to bring that up. Now that he was no longer on the market, was he trying to throw her in the way of other non-vampire potentials? The thought was probably an overreaction on her part.

"I guess I will take lunch to Jason then head up to Shreveport real fast. I have to get back before sunset though."

"Then I'll get out of your way."

"Give me some time to get some stuff together. I'll take Sookie's shift tonight, then stay at your place. Sookie, I'm coming back during the day. You and I are going to do lunches and I'm gonna make sure you get out of this house whether you like it or not. Nights might leave you homebound, but we still got the day."

"Thanks, Luna." Sookie smiled a genuine smile at her new friend. It had been so amazing the last few weeks to have someone she could talk about everything with. Alrene or Tara would never had understood if she told them she couldn't come out at night. They probably would have just told her to call the police. Bud Dearborn in his Stetson and bolo tie facing down Godric was almost comical, but Sookie did not dislike the sheriff _that_ much.

The two women hugged briefly before Luna scampered off to pack. Sookie followed Sam out towards the back. Like all those familiar with her, he knew to park next to her car out behind the house rather than out front. She could always tell it was a stranger when they pulled up to the front of her house.

"By the way Cher, I like the car." He said with a wry twist to his lips.

"Very funny, Sam." After Eric had left, Sookie had turned on the flood lights and stood at the open doorway in the back to survey the damage from afar. It kind of looked like a hailstorm of biblical proportions had passed right over her car. Of all the things he could have picked, it was at least better than the propane tank. Maybe he had not known what it was and found it threatening. Even though she thought it might still be drivable, she did not need Sam throwing it in her face that her already sad little car actually looked worse now.

"What? You just didn't strike me as the new car type, but it was about time you replaced that old thing."

"New car?" He was confused by her confusion. "He couldn't have…" She closed the remaining distance to her back door at a run, and when it swung open, gone was her yellow monstrosity of a car. In its place idled a very shiny little Honda. It really did look brand new. How he had managed to get her a new car and have it delivered in the span of a few hours, she could not fathom, but there is was.

Part of her balked at having a new car bought for her, but then, she had needed one for some time. Not to mention, his purchase seemed so reasonable, or at least, reasonable for Eric. It wasn't some outrageous sports car like his; it wasn't even a Lexus or BMW. It was a reliable, middle-of-the-line sedan that would probably last her for years without making her feel like some mistress in her fancy car. It was kind of perfect.

"You didn't know?" Sam asked as he came up beside her.

"No." She slowly made her way around the car, taking in every detail of it. It was a beautiful red. Not the flashy red of Eric's car, but a deep ruby. The interior was cloth, which she preferred. She had mentioned that to him once, commenting how sticky leather tended to get in the hot Louisiana summers. When she finally opened the door, the smell of new car washed over her. Her family might not have ever owned a new car, but everyone understands that smell.

As expected, a note was waiting for her on the driver's seat, attached to her key. It was a fair assumption that no one would have been out and about to steal it that early.

_I could not leave you without a car. I hope that you like it. We can trade it for a different color or model if you prefer. I have taken out extra insurance on it. Should Godric choose to repeat his experiment, I can have it replaced. There will be paper work for you to file, but it should be fine to drive for now._

_-E_

_PS Couldn't leave it inside, so check the trunk._

Just in case the second surprise wasn't something she would want others to see, she decided she would wait until Sam had left before opening the trunk. "My car met with an angry vampire last night." Sookie explained to Sam as she ran her hands over the steering wheel. She could definitely get used to this car.

"Guess he kind of owed it to you then, didn't he?" She wasn't sure what Sam's tone meant, but his words sealed the deal for her.

"Yeah, I guess he did."

"He might get you into a lot of this trouble, but I am glad to see that he takes care of you too." _But I still think you deserve better._ Whether he meant to or not, she got that thought loud and clear.

"I know you do, Sam, and I appreciate the sentiment, even if I don't agree with you." She got out of the car to hug her friend. "And I really am happy about you Luna. I think it is great that you two are together."

"It's all thanks to you, you know. If you hadn't gone to Texas, I might never have met her."

"Then really, it is all thanks to Eric. He's the only reason I ever went." Sam scowled at that. Eric being responsible for the current happiness of his love life was probably a hard pill to swallow. Not wanting to ruin the moment, she forged ahead. "Whoever's responsible, I am glad it happened!"

"Thanks, Cher."

"And if you hurt her, I will wait till the next time I see that cute little collie running around and I will take it to the vet to get it neutered for the good of the community. Understand?" Her sweet smile did not match the words she spoke, but Sam's suddenly pale face was nodding his assent. She had done her duty as a girl friend. "Good, good. Now run along so Luna and I can girl talk."

"Yes, ma'am."

She waved good-bye as he drove off, finally going around back to pop the trunk. Inside lay one of those nice winter jackets with layers that can be added to withstand below freezing temperature. The color was a wonderful raspberry, and another of Eric's famous notes was pinned to it.

_If you still need a reason for me to buy you gifts, then I will gladly rip your old coat the next time I see you._

_- E_

For this, he definitely didn't need a reason. Well, at least not anymore than that her old coat was ugly, and he was very welcome to rip it if he like. Sookie slipped on the new coat, which fit perfectly, and headed back inside. She had never known a man who was that good at buying gifts. Her father certainly hadn't been. At least, she thought she remembered a couple tense birthday/Mother's Days. Then again, it had been a long time ago. Jason was definitely not that observant.

Once inside, she carefully hung up her present on the coat rack. It made her old one look even worse by comparison, hanging next to it, the stuffing all mashed out in different places. Maybe she could get used to having nice things.

"So, you really okay with it?"

Sookie didn't jump this time because Luna's mental signature had warned Sookie of her presence. It was a handy little feature of telepathy. "Yeah, I think it was really sweet of him to get me a coat."

Luna looked confused for a moment. Sookie sometimes forgot that other people couldn't read her thoughts. The telepath had assumed that Luna was asking if Sookie was okay with Eric buying her these things, but judging by her facial expression now, they were on two different pages.

"The vamp got you a present?"

"Yes, and I don't see why you can't call him Eric. How would you feel if I started to refer to Sam as 'the shifter' all the time."

The girl just shrugged. "He is what he is. Besides, you actually like Sam."

"I think you would like Eric too if you took some time to get to know him." It was an old argument for the two.

"He doesn't make the best first impression."

"You two just got off on the wrong start because he thought you were trying to kidnap me, but to be fair, _he thought you were trying to kidnap me_. I doubt you'd be going through yours please and thank you's when someone you care about was in danger."

"I know you and Sam had something before you were with _Eric_." The subject change was abrupt. She didn't use the nicest voice when she said his name, but she said it all the same.

"Is that what has you worried? I don't know that I would really call one date something."

"So, you're alright with me and Sam?"

"I wasn't lying earlier; I think it's wonderful! Sam's a great guy, and he and I make much better friends than anything else. I sincerely wish you both the best."

"I really like him, but I don't want things to be awkward between you and me." Luna looked the most serious that Sookie had seen her since she came to Bon Temps. She really wanted things to be right about this.

"That's real sweet of you, but I promise there's nothing to worry about on that front."

"Oh good, because he is a damn fine kisser."

"Unless you want me to start talking about the things Eric and I do, I would appreciate you keeping what you and Sam do under wraps."

"Yeah, sorry about earlier."

"Not your fault. I'm the mind reader here."

"Well, glad everything is good between us, I am going to go finish packing."

"Not so fast little missy…" Her words stopped Luna in her tracks, and the girl turned around warily. "I've already given Sam the speech, and I am a firm believer in girls sticking together and what not. I'm real glad you came to stay with me, and I am having a great time getting to know you. Relationships are always hard no matter the circumstances, so if you want to talk about fights or if ya'll break up, I am here for you. However, I have known Sam for a long time now, and he has been one of the few spots of sanity in my crazy life. If you hurt him, play with his emotions, or lead him on, I don't care if you turn into the Hulk, I will kick your ass all the way back to Texas."

She had really meant for it to come out a little more light-hearted than it had, and by the time she finished, Sookie wasn't even quite sure how Luna should react to it all. Whatever she might have guessed, it wasn't the hug that Luna wrapped her in.

"I'm glad he's got a friend like you." It was the absolute perfect thing to say, and Sookie returned the hug with warmth. When Luna pulled away, she held on to Sookie's arms with a smile. "But let's be honest, no way could you kick my ass."

"Let's just hope you never have to find out." She told her friend with a wink. Both girls laughed it off, all awkwardness avoided.

"Now can I go pack?"

"Sure, rant over."

"Good."

"I think I'm gonna pack up a lunch here in a bit and take it over to Jason. Then pop up to Shreveport to talk to Alcide."

"At least I don't have to worry about you staying cooped up today. Make sure to call me if you need to. I could probably trade you a couple of my day shifts if you want to get out of the house."

"Thanks, I'll definitely think about that." Luna went to pack and Sookie went to get ready. Today was a holiday for most people, so Jason and Alcide would probably be home. She had plenty of time to get ready. The last thing she wanted was to show up at Jason's if the shifter girl was still there...

* * *

Next chapter will be Jason and Alcide, then night falls once more!

Review to gladden my heart!


	4. Chapter 4

No huge changes this chapter, but I like to think that my story is a small stone thrown into a large pond. The point of impact might not be big, but the ripples go far beyond that. Poetic, I know.

Disclaimer: Characters, plots, and places belong to Charlaine Harris/Alan Ball. If I haven't said it in a while, don't sue me. Copying intended, but not for monetary purposes.

* * *

It felt a little like being Red Riding Hood. Sure, Sookie had called ahead of time to make sure the big bad wolf (or whatever Jason's latest conquest turned into) had gone home, and she was had just left Granny's house instead of heading towards it, but she _was_ carrying a basket with food in it. Her new car had driven beautifully, and the heat worked like a dream. In fact, she had almost been too hot despite the chill outside by the time she reached Jason's house.

"Whose car's that?" Jason shouted from the doorway without offering to grab any of the things she was carrying.

"It's mine." Came her triumphant reply.

He whistled in admiration. Sure, her brother was more of a truck guy, but he could still appreciate a new car that didn't have a bed on the back. "When'd you get it?"

"Believe it or not, last night. My old car… died. Eric picked it out for me." Better to keep things simple.

"I knew he was rich." Of course that is what he would focus on. Not the fact that her other car had died, or how sweet it had been for Eric to get her a car so quickly, but the money involved.

"I had been thinking about getting a car for a while now anyway, guess I will put the money I had saved up into the house or something." She was thinking out loud while setting the food out. She had fried chicken for Christmas, an old family tradition, though hers always turned out drier than Gran's. That morning she had made some fresh biscuits to go with it. Since it was just lunch, she figured that would do. Jason would have just made himself a sandwich anyway.

"Well, you can always buy me a new truck if you wanna." Jason tried the grin that had melted the hearts of so many women on his sister. It still didn't work.

"You're a grown man, you can buy your own things."

"Ouch, Sook, that was harsh."

Truth be told, she probably could have bought him a new truck. Money wasn't coming in quite as steadily as it had been, but she had saved up quite a bit in the last few months. She and Eric had renegotiated her contract recently. It had been a real battle, but he had finally realized how important it was for her to feel like he wasn't paying her just because she was his girlfriend, even if he didn't really understand it. However, he had added in an extra clause for Hazard Pay. She had laughed at the time, but right now, she was probably making money while doing nothing. She had hoped against hope that the clause would never need to be activated. Would he count daylight hours as well, since Godric was not really a danger to her? At the time they wrote it, asking for details seemed like tempting fate. Now, she had to wonder if she should have gotten everything clarified.

"Sook?" She had missed what he said.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you brought the sweet tea?"

"Yeah, it's in there." She pointed to the old milk jug she had cleaned out to transport the drink. No way was she coming over without it; otherwise, she might have to drink beer for her lunch.

Jason was, at least, nice enough to get out two cups with ice for them.

"So, what was so important you had to come over?" He asked as he pulled out a chicken leg and a biscuit. Leftover fried chicken was best served cold.

"A couple things actually."

"Vampire stuff?" He guessed, not completely inaccurately.

"Some of it."

"Well?" A bit of biscuit tumbled out of his mouth as he phrased his one word question around the food already in there. For her part, his sister tried to ignore it. Jason and table manners had never really gone together.

"First, Godric has gone a little… off the reservation. The situation is all kinds of messed up, and unless you want to know all the details?" Jason shook his head. He would have been quite comfortable with his world having never included vampires. Staying out of it was the name of the game for him. "I figured. The important part is that he is dangerous right now, he knows where Gran's house is, and he can track me." She hurried along her speak at his worried expression. "I've un-invited him, so he can't get in anymore. Which means I am safe in the house, but it isn't safe for you to come round at night."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

They both ate in silence for a minute while Jason digested the information. She made sure to stay out of his head while he worked through things for himself. Like most men, he was a problem solver, but she already knew this was a little beyond him. He just needed to come to the same conclusion on his own.

"Guess there's no real point in you staying here if he can track you."

"Nope, but thanks for offering." She said with sincerity. It really was a sweet thought, even if it hadn't exactly been an offer.

"It's a good thing you told me, cause I was planning on dropping by later."

"Yeah?" That was news to her, not that Jason usually announced his visits. In fact, that was one of the main reasons she had made a point to tell him. It would be just like him to show up while Godric was trying to break down her door.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you about the girl I met last night. I think you'd really like her."

"About her…" Sookie was not quite sure how to break this to him.

Jason's head tilted to the side as he watched her. Everyone in Bon Temps knew she was abnormal in someway, and her brother knew the truth, even if he would never admit it. "Sook, how could you possibly know about her? You weren't there last night to… you know." He tapped his head with a finger, the closet to admission he had ever come.

"I have my ways." She told him cryptically.

"Well, she sure as _ ain't no vamp. I watched her walk outside this morning into the sun, pretty as ya please."

"Nope, she's not a vampire, but when they came out, didn't you ever think that maybe they weren't the fairy tales characters that were true. She's something different." Considering she had just met her fairy godmother the night before, the irony of her statement was not lost on her.

"Well shit... you're sure?"

"Some others who are kind of like her told me. And they are sure." After all, Sookie didn't know what this girl became, so they probably weren't all the same type. Sam was considered a true shifter (which was rare as far as she could tell), meaning he could turn into any animal he saw, and Luna… well, Sookie hadn't actually found out what Luna turned into. It seemed like a rude question to ask.

"Damn it all; I really liked that girl, and she was a real tiger in the sack."

"Oh, sorry Jason, I didn't realize she had shown you already, well, if you're alright with it…" Sookie's voice trailed off as she realized her mistake judging by Jason's rapidly paling face. He had no idea what a poor choice of words he had made.

"Holy shit… a tiger?!" Really, it was a good thing that he was sitting down already. The telepath wasn't sure his legs would have held him at that moment.

"Maybe not, it could be like a bunny or a cute cat or something."

"I really wish I didn't know that." He was picking apart his second biscuit without ever taking a bite. Gradually, his gaze travelled back to his sister. "You must know a lot of stuff the rest of us don't, huh?"

Sookie only nodded.

"When'd you get so good at keeping secrets?" Now it was Jason's turn to realize he had said something stupid. Rather than respond, the telepath burst into laughter, which her brother joined with only a mild look of discomfort.

Sookie had been keeping secrets since before she could really understand the concept. Really, it was no surprise that she should know so much more about things that go bump in the night than other humans. She knew more about humans than their compatriots anyway, and men that turned into dogs did not seem that much stranger than some of the things she knew about the good people of Bon Temps.

The laughter, at least, helped get Jason flowing back to his normal state-of-mind. It might not be the best way of dealing with things, but the boy was definitely good at compartmentalizing. Just as he accepted Sookie's strangeness by filing it away where he didn't have think about it, his sister watched him tuck away this new strand of information as well.

"How was your party last night?" His subject was rapid but expected. He would stay away from her house at night, but she didn't know if he would stop seeing that girl. Either way, her sisterly duty was fulfilled.

"It was a lot of fun." They talked about their nights since Sookie had missed out on all that happened in Bon Temps. By the time that Jason was finished relating a story about Hoyt getting a flat tire, he was pretty much back to his usual, and by the time Sookie was ready to leave, any thoughts of shape shifters had completely left his head.

"Well, I got to get heading on to Shreveport to meet with a friend, so I can get home before nightfall."

"Who's the friend?" Jason said, wagging his eyebrows. He knew perfectly well that Eric would be gone for the day.

"You might remember me talking about him, Alcide." Sookie had kept the details of her trip to Jackson a secret. If Jason couldn't handle knowing about shifters, he definitely didn't need to know about the goblin she had seen at an all-Supe club.

"Oh yeah, Herveaux. Isn't he supposed to be rich?"

"His father's company does pretty well." And so did they when his father wasn't gambling everything away.

"So, why are going to talk to him?" He meant, why was she going to see him if they were going to sleep together? Perhaps she should have been grateful that he knew she wouldn't sleep with some guy just because he was well to do.

"He needs to know what's going on."

"He ones of those things from the fairy tales, ain't he?" It was an amazing insight coming for her brother. She was impressed he had made the connection.

"Yeah, he is."

"There are others around here. People that I know, aren't there?" Sookie patted her brother on the shoulder. It was a lot to take in.

"Some, but don't let it bother you too much. It hasn't really affected you so far, has it?"

"You're right; it hasn't." She could see he had connected her comment with Crystal already. The girl he had slept with had a name… She had meant it more for Sam or even Luna, but the damage was done. The girl might be perfectly nice, but then, why had Sam thought to warn her?

"I'll see you later, alright?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Jason was already distracted by thoughts of calling Crystal again.

"Just try and be safe Jason."

"Always am." He said with a huge grin at his witty double entendre.

"Gross Jason…" She playfully punched him in the arm before gathering up her purse. "I'm leaving the rest of this stuff here for you; don't let it go bad in your fridge."

"Promise it won't." The Scout sign he held up meant little to her, as he had never been a boy scout, but he walked her to the door all the same.

"Love you." She snuck in a quick hug.

"Love ya too."

She pulled away while he still stood in the doorway, studying her new car. Maybe Eric would grow on him after all.

* * *

Alcide's office was apparently closed for New Year's Day as well. She called him on her way up to Shreveport. If she had called him before she talked to Jason, he probably would have just been worrying, and she had determined to talk to him face-to-face already. He agreed to meet her out for coffee at an Applebee's not too far from where he lived and worked. Going to his house had seemed too personal. They were fine again, but she wanted to maintain a certain distance until she was sure there would be no repeats of Jackson. It had been ugly.

"Sookie!" Alcide called from a back corner booth in the restaurant.

"Hey Alcide." She beamed a genuine smile up at him as he caught her up in a hug. He was wonderful to be around when there was no tension between them, and for whatever reason, he was in an excellent mood.

"Come on, sit down, I got us both some coffee. You hungry?"

"Just ate with my brother actually, but if you need to grab a bite, go for it."

"Nah, I'm good." They both just smiled when the waiter came by to refill Alcide's mug. "How are things with you and Eric?"

Sookie scrutinized his face, looking for sarcasm or derision, but he looked genuinely interested. "Well, our relationship is great…"

"But?" He asked the million dollar question.

"You know how things get in the vampire world."

"Actually, there are tons of vampires out there who live their existence in relative peace." His almost chipper attitude about it was a little grating, but she knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. Was that how people felt around her?

"Anyway, we have a problem with witches that I am afraid might end up affecting you."

"Me?" He looked skeptical.

"Well, the pack."

The smile all but disappeared as Alcide switched over to his business face. "Explain."

As with Sam and Luna, Sookie enjoyed the freedom of being able to share the story with someone who would not be freaked out by the details. More and more, she was beginning to feel very out of place in her own world. The human world was the strange one now. She had never quite fit in, but it had been okay when she was the only one who was different. Her only choice had been to act normally because there were no other options, but now she was surrounded by people (and not quite people) who made her little quirk look like a neat party trick. They not only accepted, but valued her. The last year had seen quite a change in worldview for her.

She finished her tale with the bit about Godric's visit. After all, Alcide and Godric were friendly, and a somewhat crazed vampire was an important bit of information.

"Sookie, you can't stay at your house!" He seemed almost torn by this, and she realized that for all that they were alright again, he was not offering to have her stay with him or vice versa.

"You of all people should know he's had my blood. Am I supposed to have him show up at someone else's house? Or a hotel? Nope, as soon as the sun even thinks about setting, I will be snuggly safe in my house where he cannot get to me." It was nice to have so many people worried about her.

"Yeah, I guess that's for the best. That shifter girl still living with you?" He had met Luna the same day she moved in.

"Yeah, but she is staying with someone else just in case. If Godric doesn't remember anyone else, he hopefully won't go after them. Better to keep him in one area if possible. It's kind of like a vampire snare trap."

"You have some silver?"

"Alcide! This is still Godric we are talking about!"

"I didn't ask if you have a stake!" He almost looked offended by her insinuation, but there was also a little guilt. Maybe that had been his next question. "Silver will incapacitate him without doing any permanent damage."

"You know, I do date a vampire. I know about silver."

"Yeah, but you weren't thinking about using it, were you?"

"Who's the mind reader here?" It was weird that they were both smiling about something so horrible, but he knew her pretty well all things considered.

"Don't need to be a telepath to know even when he is a danger to you, you wouldn't want to hurt someone you love." Sookie wasn't sure if Alcide thought this was a good or bad thing.

"Well, I'll put on my necklace tonight, just to be safe."

"Appreciated." His expression went from troubled back to business once more. She didn't need to be a mind reader either to know that now that he thought she was going to be as safe as possible, it was back to Pack concerns. "Now, you are sure these witches are Weres?"

"I don't know if all of them are, but the leader, Hallow, and her brother definitely are from what Eric said. You know Eric, he isn't going to say anything unless he is sure. He hates being wrong."

"Yeah." He was thinking very hard now, but Sookie stayed out of it, occupied with her own thoughts.

"Why do you think Shreveport?" The question had been bothering her all day, but she could hardly ask Eric at the moment, so Alcide would have to do.

"Huh?" His thoughts were obviously somewhere else.

"I mean, if they are as powerful as they sound and all, why a little town like Shreveport? There are tons of other places they could have gone to set up shop."

"Yeah, it doesn't really make sense to me either, but then again, neither do Were-witches. I've never heard of anything like this."

"Are witches not normally this powerful?" She was no expert on Supes for all that she knew a lot about vampires, and witches were a whole new species to her.

"Well, they're just humans, and they stay human."

"Usually." Sookie amended for him. Obviously, this case was even more unique that she had thought.

"Usually." He agreed. "They can use magic, so we keep an eye on them, but _usually_ they're not really a concern."

"Until they are Weres on vampire blood." She was probably a little too condescending about that, but these guys were not to be underestimated.

"Yeah, until then. Just so we're clear, when you say Were…"

"I mean like you."

Alcide looked even more disgusted that before, but he had already punched a number into his phone.

"Sir, this is Alcide." He spoke quickly when the line picked up. If she had been like so many of her friends, Sookie could have heard the other end of the conversation, but she simply had to watch Alcide's face instead. "Yes sir, I am sorry to disturb you, but there is very important information that you need to hear." It didn't sound like the Shreveport Packmaster was any sort of teddy bear. "With permission, I would like to bring someone along who knows more of the details." Apparently, vampires weren't the only ones who didn't say good-bye because Alcide just hung up the phone.

"We'd better get going."

"If I'd have known we'd be seeing your Packmaster, I'd have dressed up more." Her statement had its intended reaction, some of the tension in Alcide faded away with laughter. She had known that Alcide wasn't the Packmaster here in Shreveport, but she had always assumed he was pretty high up. His obvious apprehension over the meeting made her wonder.

"We'll leave your car here and take the truck so you don't get lost."

"Sounds good as long as you can have me back here by three at the latest." She wanted to be safely in her home by five.

"Will do."

"What's he like anyway, your Packmaster?" She asked when they were in the truck.

"Well, he is a retired Air Force Colonel from Barksdale Air Force Base. He's got a daughter who married a local Were, so he decided to stay here to be near her."

"So, I guess Mrs. Flood must be a Were as well?"

"Mrs. Flood died a few months back."

"Oh…" Well, better that she had gotten that out of the way rather than say something to Colonel Flood himself.

To avoid any more stupid questions, Sookie remained silent as they drove into a suburban neighborhood with ranch style houses. It was not the most upscale of places, but it was still nice. All the houses were well kept, and when they finally parked, it was in front of an immaculate lawn without even a pinecone out of place. It reminded her of Eric's only with out such a professional air. This was kept by someone who loved to garden.

An older gentlemen in civvies answered the door. He still cut an imposing figure even out of uniform. Sookie had to remind herself he was retired. He probably didn't lounge around the house in his dress uniform. His perfectly manicured mustache made her want to chuckle, but he was too austere a man for laughter.

"Alcide." It wasn't much of a greeting, but the handshake seemed warm enough for two men.

The colonel looked significantly at Sookie when Alcide made no move to introduce her. "Colonel Flood, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, Colonel Flood."

"How do you do, Sir?" She wondered if she should curtsy, but then she hadn't for Jackson's Packmaster. Why start now?

"Very well, Miss Stackhouse, would you like to come inside to discuss matters?"

"Thank you kindly." Her southern belle was peeking through.

"Would you like anything to drink? Tea, coffee, water?"

"No, thank you." She had enough coffee in her system to feel downright sloshy. Making their way to the living room, Sookie clasped her hands tightly in front of her. Apparently, Mrs. Flood (at least, she figured it was his wife) had been a collector of porcelain birds for what looked like many years. Rather than tempt her clumsy side, she sat down, still tucked, as soon as possible.

"Did you two come to get permission to marry?"

Sookie was glad she had not accepted the drink, or she might have spewed tea all over his nice couch.

"No, sir." Alcide looked like he wanted to smile, but just couldn't quite conjure it up. "Sookie has some very important information that you need to hear."

"And why should I listen?"

To anyone else, it would have sounded rude, but the telepath was pretty sure she understood. He wasn't being petulant, he was asking for credentials. After all, she was just some random girl he had never heard of. Alcide, on the other hand, looked strangely offended. Men were so difficult sometimes.

"What she has to say is of concern to the Pack, and…" There was a slight hesitation as he looked at her. "I would give my blood for her." The implications of that sounded very important, but she hoped it would not come back to bite him. Still, it was nice for him to vouch for her. She patted his hand in appreciation before tucking it back in her lap.

"Very well. Miss Stackhouse, what do you have to tell me?"

This was beginning to feel like a monologue, albeit an edited one this time. She left out the bits about Godric. There was no chance of him somehow finding his way to Colonel Flood. Sookie doubted he would even be leaving Bon Temps, if what Eric said was true. Alcide looked at her meaningfully but did not amend her story. In this case, she thought it was her secret to keep.

"And where are the witches now?"

"I don't know, sir. The vampires had some internal issues that needed to be addressed last night," he was able to keep his distaste from his face even if Sookie could still see it in his thoughts, " so I do not believe they were able to do anything further. They will not rise for a few hours yet."

"This is not nearly enough information." Colonel Flood was no longer talking to her, so she relaxed into the cushion behind her. "Alcide, we need to gather the trackers. We have a pack meeting tonight, and I would like to know all we can by then. I will call Adabelle she should hear this before the rest." He was thinking so hard about everything, Sookie was picking up on it unconsciously. Apparently, Adabelle was like second-in-command.

Where Alcide had looked concerned earlier, he looked excited now. The thought of action was obviously a nice one to him. Sookie could live with less action in her life.

"Sorry I could not be of more help, but I thought you all should know as soon as possible."

"It was very considerate of you. I'm sure the vampires would not have thought to."

"They are a bit preoccupied right now." She attempted a defense, knowing full well it would have taken a lot for Eric to reach out to his fellow Supes.

"Still, they are Weres in our territory, we should have known."

"I am afraid that someone in our pack has been keeping things from us." They shared a look, and a thought 'Adabelle'. Apparently, the good ole boy mentality of Were culture was a little too much for her.

"You may be right."

"I'm sure she had a reason, if she did." It was the first time in a while that Sookie had accidentally spoken regarding a thought she shouldn't have known. She was just so used to keeping her shields down around Weres now, rather than keep them up in her own house while Luna was around.

"Alcide?!" Discussing pack business with a human was a big no-no.

"Sorry Colonel. It wasn't his fault. I heard it from you actually." The white-haired man looked downright puzzled.

"There is something else you should know about Sookie… she can read minds." Alcide explain slowly.

"A telepath, really?" He was looking at her with a new amount of respect and wariness.

"Usually, I can't really tell what y'all are thinking, but you two were thinking pretty hard just then and practically at each other. Makes it easier." He absorbed that in silence, and his thoughts were once again garbled. The man was just as in control of his mind as he was his lawn and his facial hair. It was impressive.

"Will your friend stay to relate things to the rest of the pack?" Colonel Flood addressed Alcide.

"His friend needs to return home for personal reasons." In the past, she might not have been able to speak up for herself, but she had gone against vampires much scarier than this man, and right now, Godric was one of them.

"Of course." He seemed a little put off, but it would be a lot worse if Godric tracked her all the way up here while she was surrounded by Weres.

"Sir, Sookie needs to be named a Friend of the Pack." That came out of left field, and Flood's face told her whatever Alcide was asking was big.

Silence held the room for a minute. Sookie was a little tired of being the outsider in these conversations, but she was not about to break the tension by asking what he meant.

"I believe you are right. She has done us a great service with her forewarning." _And she may be a great asset to us._ He took her hand in both of his. "I will tell the leaders of the pack tonight."

Maybe she should have mentioned that contact made it easier to read thoughts as well, but it was too late now. She couldn't really blame him for the thought. Well, she probably shouldn't have anyway, but a part of her still did. She should have been used to Supes reacting to her quirk that way, and the safety of the Pack was his first priority. Of course, he would see her value in that respect. The only reason she and Eric were together now was because he had first been intrigued by her defect.

"Thank you sir. It is a great honor, I am sure."

"Now, I really need to get Sookie back to her car, then I will rouse the trackers and take them to Fangtasia."

"Good-bye, Miss Stackhouse." Their host showed them to the door.

"Colonel Flood."

The men just nodded, and they were off. Neither spoke until they were back in the truck once more.

"I'm afraid that the scent might be lost at Fangtasia. There was a big party their last night." Had that really been less that 24 hours ago?

"Well, it is our best place to start, and we are pretty good at what we do. Were smells a lot different than vamp."

She decided to leave that alone. "What does me being a 'Friend of the Pack' mean?"

"It just means we owe you our protection. Don't worry, you aren't a member or anything. We won't be calling on you to fight." He chuckled at the idea. His amusement rubbed her the wrong way, but she did understand the sentiment.

"But could Colonel Flood ask me to work for him. You know…" She tapped her head.

"It's really a one way street. It is only awarded to those who have done a special service for the Pack. It really is a big honor."

"Just wanted to make sure." She wouldn't have been too happy if she had unwittingly signed some Supe verbal contract… and neither would Eric.

They made it back to her car in time, and the car ride home was uneventful. She enjoyed car rides; they turned out to be the safest time of her day. Except that time with the maenad… and the time the Fellowship ran her off the road. Really, no where was danger free for her.

Still she felt much safer once she was behind her very thick front door at 4:30. Being winter, the sun would be down soon. Until very recently, she had loved that fact. Now, she was dreading it. Picking up a book and her silver cross necklace, she went to the couch to wait. Maybe he wouldn't show up after all. Unfortunately, if he didn't, she didn't want to think about what he might be doing instead.

* * *

If anyone is confused, please remember that her talk with Alcide was actually a day earlier than in the books. Forewarned is forearmed. Next chapter, night falls! For those of you who are worried, Eric will still be around, we just have to set some things up first.

Review this chapter, and get a sneak peek of a one-shot I have planned that will be in keeping with these fics!


	5. Chapter 5

It was not splintering wood, crunching metal, or even shattering glass that woke her, but a ringing cell phone.

"Hello?" Her voice was still groggy with sleep. At some point after eating a quick microwave meal, she must have dosed off on the couch. It hardly seemed like the time to be sleeping, but her body obviously disagreed.

"Sookie, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just fell asleep."

"You fell asleep?" It was not often that Eric sounded incredulous, but he managed it over the phone quite nicely.

"Well, I didn't exactly sleep like a baby last night, then Luna woke me up early to make sure I was alive. Pardon me if I was a little tired."

"Sookie, calm down. I was just surprised you were able to fall asleep given the circumstances."

She took a deep breath, even she knew she had just overreacted. It was the second time she had been woken up unexpectedly in one day. That was bound to make a girl grumpy. "Yeah, sorry, I am surprised too actually.

"I guess that means he has not shown up yet?"

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of him." Considering he was not there, Sookie really wished that Eric was. That was going to be the worst part of her nightly house arrest. How was she supposed to stay all cooped up without even Eric to keep her company?

"Maybe I was wrong." Her boyfriend was not there to see her jaw drop. Sure, he had apologized on occasion, but to outright admit that he was wrong… that had never happened before. "Maybe when he lost his memory, some of his personality was lost too."

"That would be good, right?" He sounded disappointed from her end. Obviously, he didn't like being wrong, but she was missing the downside to it in this instance.

"Yes, and no. It would be good because you would be safer, but I would have no idea where he is. We will need to move against the witches soon, and if I do not know where he is, I will not know if the curse is broken."

She had not really thought of that. It was quite a conundrum. She cared for Godric enough to want to make sure he ended up being okay, even if it meant putting herself at greater risk. Maybe he was just running a little late.

"Do you know where the witches are?" She finally asked.

"Not yet, but we are working on it. Once we find them..." Neither of them needed him to finish that sentence. The witches would be very sorry, but she could not bring herself to feel pity. They had brought this on themselves.

"Sookie, do you know why Pam would be saying Fangtasia smells like dog?" Eric was the king of changing the subject.

"If she means Were, then yeah."

"Sookie?" Eric did not sound pleased.

"Eric…" She mimicked his tone. "These witches are Weres as well. Alcide and his pack needed to know."

"How do you know they didn't have something to do with it?"

"Really, Eric? You think anyone from Alcide's pack would even want to touch a vampire? Much less spend a night with one?" His silence told her she had won the point. "Anyway, they are trying to track the witches from their scent. Wouldn't it be best to work together this once?"

"Work with the dogs?" Apparently, that point had not gone over quite as well.

"For Godric's sake?" She knew it was a low blow, but it wasn't as if she was asking him to do something detrimental to his health, just possibly accept some help.

The silence on the line was lengthy. "Fine, as long as they do not get in the way."

"I'm sure they will feel the same way about you." She moved on before they could get in a who's the better hunter contest. "So, if he doesn't show up, how long do I have to wait until I can see you again?"

She could practically hear him smiling when he spoke again. It was good to know he looked forward to it as much as she did. "Well, we should probably wait a few days, just to make sure, but if you still have not heard from him, we will reassess the situation."

Reassessing the situation sounded great to her at that moment. She had a feeling time was going to move very slowly for the next few days. Maybe the Weres had already found the witches, and it would all be over tomorrow night. A rather nice day dream was occupying her thoughts while Eric continued speaking. She should have been paying attention, but in her mind, he was already shirtless.

Her phone dropped from her hand accompanied by a unconscious scream at the loud rap on her window. Luckily, she had no neighbors to hear her and run over because outside the window, a small, pale figure peered in through the curtains. Godric was still in his tux, but it did not look dirty. Had he not gone to ground for the night?

She could hear her name being bellowed from the phone on the floor. Slowly, she got her breathing under control and reached down to pick up the phone. This would not happen again. She had not been paying attention to her surroundings, or else she would have known when he showed up. Being taken by surprise was not a luxury she could afford.

"SOOKIE! WHAT HAPPENED?" She should have spoken before putting the phone to her ear as Eric yelled right into it.

"I'm fine, sorry, he just scared me."

"He's there?"

"Yeah." She was looking right at him, afraid to break eye contact. At least if she could see him, she knew what he was up to, and he wasn't beating up her new car.

"Just… stay inside, alright? Whatever you do, don't go outside."

"I'm blonde, not dumb." Godric smiled that same sinister smile from the previous night. No doubt, he could hear everything that was being said.

"Just promise me."

"I promise. I'll call you if he leaves." Godric's smile grew even wider; it was not a look she liked.

"Alright."

It was her turn to shut the phone, but she remained standing there. The vampire and the human in a stare off. If only this were just some blinking contest, she would gladly let him win and move on, but this seemed more like a test of wills.

"Invite me in." She felt his power wash over her once more, leaving her speechless, but unmoved

They both waited for something to happen, but when he stopped trying to push her, she found her words once more. "I thought we proved last night that did not work."

"I was hoping that perhaps it was simply the fairy protecting you."

"Nope, that one is all me."

"Shame, it would have made things so much easier. You could still invite me in of your own volition."

"Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."

"Excuse me?" He must have forgotten his fairy tales as well as his name.

"No." She explained in the simplest of terms.

"I may not remember who I am, but I know what I am. And I have a feeling, I get what I want. Right now, that is you." He paused to smile at her once again. "I could make it enjoyable for us both." Coming from Godric, that was just downright creepy.

"Thank you for the offer, but I will be staying safe inside."

"You will regret that decision." He managed to make it sound matter-of-factual, instead of some lame threat. She blinked and he was gone. She felt his void fading quickly into the night. Was he really that intent on having her blood?

She hit the redial button on her phone, and Eric picked up before the first ring had finished.

"He is gone?" He sounded as confused as she felt by it all.

"Yeah, but I don't think that was the last we will be hearing from him, considering he just told me that I would regret not letting him in."

"I am going to send a couple vampires down there to protect you. I wish I could come, but…"

"You will _not_ send anyone down." She did not really want him to finish that thought. She knew good and well that if Godric ordered Eric to serve her up on a silver platter, he would. She did not need to hear him say it.

"Sookie, I do not know that a lack of invitation will be enough to keep him out." She had that same terrible feeling.

"Even so, you'd just be handing any vampire you send down here a death warrant, unless you have someone older and stronger than Godric hanging around that I don't know about."

That gave him pause. They both knew it was true. "If you all are going to take out the witches," part of her couldn't believe she was condoning an attack, and part of her prayed for its coming, "you will need your entire force intact. I can hold out here a little longer."

Her phone was beeping at her… that was something new. She held it away from her ear, missing whatever Eric was saying on the other end. Alcide's name was flashing at her on the screen.

"Hang on Eric, I think Alcide is calling me, he might have information." Time for an experiment, but she had seen other people use it this way before. She pushed the green button and held the phone back up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Sookie, good, you're alright."

"Yeah, everything okay on your end?"

"Well, the pack confronted Adabelle, and she admitted to being in contact with them. Apparently, she was going to meet with them tonight to tell them she was not interested in joining. It ended up being an ambush. Luckily, being on high alert, we didn't send her alone. She is hurt pretty bad, but she's gonna live."

"And the witches?"

"They fought hard to the end, but we had the superior numbers tonight." Past tense. "We have a clean scent now."

"What will you all do?"

"Before, we just wanted information. They were on our territory without informing us, but this attack on our second changes everything. Tell that vampire of yours, if he is going to take them down, the Packmaster says we want in."

That was huge. Weres and vampires do not usually work together, but if they both went after the witches separately, they might end up messing everything up. "I will talk to him, make sure he understands."

"Take care of yourself."

"Bye Alcide." She hung up, on that call. "Eric, you still there?"

"Did you put me on hold for the Were?" Sure he was upset, but on the bright side, she had successfully used call waiting for the first time!

"Don't be such a baby about it. He had important information. The witches attacked one of the high-ups in the pack, so if y'all make a move, they want in." She would throw his maker at him again if she needed to, but she wanted him to work it out first.

"Fine."

"Thank you for being so understanding."

"I am only agreeing because I don't want them screwing everything up by going in too early."

"Of course." Whatever his reason, if it gave them a better chance of success, she was happy.

She looked at the clock above her mantle. Despite her nap, it was late, and she was tired. Godric had not shown back up, so she might as well call it a night. "Eric, I am going to go try and get some sleep."

"That is probably best."

"I love you."

"I love you too, and I hope you will be able to sleep soundly."

"That makes two of us."

After hanging up, she quickly straightened the living room and went about her usual nightly routine, always keeping her shields down in case he decided to come back that night. She had felt no disturbances when she finally conked out, safe beneath her blankets. Maybe Godric was hiding somewhere scheming. She could deal with him better tomorrow night, if only she could get a good night's sleep.

* * *

This time, it was a blood curdling scream that awoke her. Sookie checked her throat to make sure the cry was not her own, her other hand going to her nightstand. That was when she heard the sobbing outside.

"Sookie, please! He's going to kill me!" Was that Arlene?

She rushed to the door in her long nightshirt, not even pausing for a robe. There at the foot of her front porch steps stood Alrene, still in her Merlotte's uniform, with Godric holding her by the scruff of her neck. She looked whole, but frightened. And with good reason: Godric's fangs were unmistakable, even with only the moonlight to illuminate them.

"Let her go Godric." Inside, she thought she heard her cell phone ringing, but it was too late for phone calls now.

"Do you know how hard it is to find a human out of their home in this cursed place?" Godric angry was a very bad thing.

"She has nothing to do with this, just let her go." She tried to plead with the vampire.

"I will give you one more opportunity. After all, her blood is hardly worth spilling. Come outside, and I will let her go free." She could see Alrene's car parked on her driveway. He must have made her drive here rather than fly with her. He was holding her at a distance, as if she were distasteful.

"Tell her she won't remember any of this. Tell her to go home, and remember only that she left work and had an uneventful drive home."

"Come outside first." If she went out, there was no going back in. He would not be slow about it twice.

"Do you remember that you are a man of your word?" Sookie asked her memory deprived friend.

"A vampire has his pride." She was not sure if that was a yes or not, but she took a step through her open door, only then realizing it was freezing outside. She had just broken her first, and possibly last, promise to Eric.

"Closer or I sample her before sending her away." Sookie hurried to the steps, her feet pacing on the cold wood. Godric smiled at Sookie as he told Alrene all about the boring evening she had on her way home. He did not even have to look at her for his power to work. If Sookie had not been so frightened, she would have been impressed.

As soon as he released Alrene, she began walking back to her car, and he beckoned Sookie forward with one finger. She walked the rest of the way to him under her own power. "You struck me as the self-sacrifing type."

"Yep, that's me…" She had never sounded quite so dejected. He was circling her now, like a predator stalking his prey. Only, she had no hope of out running, but she was not hopeless. She just needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. Hopefully, that would not be too late.

"So, I had an open invitation into your home and have taken your blood, but you are not mine."

"I belong to another vampire." A small spark of hope lit up within her. If he remembered his vampire etiquette, would that be enough to save her?

He stopped in front of her, peering into her eyes. "I see no one here to claim you. He must not hold you in high esteem if he allows other vampires to drink from you. Was it the vampire who lived across the cemetery from you? He seems to have been gone for some time now." Maybe Godric had stayed at Bill's house. That would explain how he had stayed so clean.

"No, he was a… friend." But her spark was extinguished.

"You are a very intriguing woman. You know many vampires, I smell the two-natured all over your house, and you have a fairy for protection." Fat lot of good that was doing her now, but then, Claudine had warned her to be careful, that she would be unable to intervene anytime soon. The very next night must have qualified. "And to be part fairy yourself, well, all those connections wrapped in a sweet smelling package. You would be a powerful consort."

"I'm all human, thank you very much." She was trying to ignore the consort comment and focus on something else.

"You did not know? Very interesting, but no."

"You never said anything to me before." She meant before he had lost his memory, but she wasn't sure if he would catch that

"I might have missed it, but after smelling your friend the other night, I am quite sure now." He leaned in closer for a sniff of confirmation that lit up his face. "It may be a small part, but you have fairy in your blood."

"You're sure?" It wasn't so much that she cared if her great-great-great-whatever had been a fairy or not. It wasn't even if she believed him or not, but the longer she kept him talking, the longer her blood stayed in her veins. If only the damn nights weren't so long in the winter.

He pulled her into him, taking in a slow, deep breath. "Quite." Sookie balled up her fists beside her.

"Godric, please," she begged him, "you have to remember, you don't want to do this."

"Oh, but I very much do." She took an almost involuntary step back, but his arm had already encircled her. Her body was shivering all over, but she had no idea if it was from cold or fear. "Yes, I know I do want this."

She was bent over his arm as he leaned in towards her neck. "If you kill me, you may never get your memory back." It was a half-truth. After all, if he killed her, no telling where he might go next, and if Eric could not find him as a result, then his memories _really might_ be lost forever.

"Kill you?" He laughed into her neck. "No, no, no, you are too much of a prize to kill, and once I have turned you, I will have all the answers I need without all this defiance."

Any protest was cut off when his fangs sunk into her neck, and she screamed at the pain. It was like Longshadow all over again, only Godric was not being pulled off her; instead, she could feel her blood being drawn away with each pull at her neck. Godric had always been so careful in the past, she could barely feel it. Tonight, he was not being so kind. As he sunk his fangs in deeper still, her tears cascaded down her cheeks. Now, was her last chance if she did not wish to be a vampire. Luckily, he had left her arms free, as any feeble attempt to push him off would be just that.

He did not even react when she reached up. Until, she smashed her right palm into his face. Then he reared back, with a cry of his own, her silver crucifix smoldering on his pale face. She may not have grabbed a robe, but she had picked that up off her nightstand. Wasting no time, she ran back to her still open front door.

"I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry." She kept repeating more to herself than to Godric. She was not so much sorry to the vampire outside who had just tried to turn her as she was sorry for the memory of the vampire that she loved. Her chant did not end until she heard the laughter behind her.

"You really do care about me." That statement had never sounded so cynical. To hear it in Godric's voice hurt almost as much as his fangs.

"You have no idea." She was still crying for Godric. Only, she prayed that when his memory did return, this moment would be lost. Let him never know he had hurt her like this.

When she finally turned to him, standing just outside her doorway, his face was already healing. Given the fact that he had literally been mid-swallow when she attacked him, it was no wonder he was healing so quickly. That little bit of silver had been more of a nuisance than a significant deterrent.

"I have now underestimated you twice. It will not happen again."

"Godric, if you wanted answers from me, all you had to do was ask." He was watching her neck, where blood was still flowing. She clamped a hand onto it, but she would need to do something soon, or she might faint from blood loss. Then the only person near enough to save her, wouldn't even be able to get to her. That would be ironic. To run from dying for immortality, only to die.

"How do I know you would be telling the truth? That you do not have some part in what happened to me?" For the first time since he had shown up on her door step, Godric looked something other than scary. He looked… scared.

It made perfect sense. After all, he had woken up not even remembering who he was. He had no one in the whole world to count on. Sure, the vampire traits in him went into defensive mode. But how much of all this was instinct, and how much of it was bravado?

"You'll just have to trust me."

She never found out what he would say in response as Eric rocketed down in her front yard. No sooner had he landed than Godric was on him. Sookie couldn't follow the action after that, but it ended with Eric on the ground, Godric's hands around the Viking's neck. Sookie could tell her boyfriend was trying to speak but couldn't.

"Don't hurt him!" She yelled as she ran back outside towards them, still holding her neck. "Godric, that's your child, don't hurt him."

She collapsed on the remnants of grass beside them, not quite able to stand anymore.

"My son?" Godric asked the man beneath him. Sookie could see the hurt in Eric's eyes at Godric's lack of recognition. It was a tense minute as Godric did not release his hands. It was lucky that Eric did not need to breathe, or he would have suffocated already. Finally, Godric sat all the way up. "Yes, I can feel it now… My son."

Sookie flopped over onto her back in relief. If nothing else, he wouldn't kill Eric now. That was good. Unfortunately, there was no way she was going to make it back inside at this point, but at least Eric would survive. If Godric did make her a vampire, then she and Eric would be sister and brother… that would make their relationship really awkward.

"But Pam can call me Auntie Sookie. I always wanted to be an aunt…" She informed the two men. The thought made her smile as the edges of her vision darkened.

"Please let me heal her!" Eric asked his maker. It was the last thing she heard before she passed out.

* * *

This is no comment on Eric and Pam's relationship (I was always surprised that Eric could not tell that Pam was his child), but if Eric and Appius's relationship caused Sookie to go a little crazy while she was bonded, then I figured that Godric and Eric should be just as tangible. You all will just have to wait and see if the world looks any different to poor Sookie when the new day breaks.


	6. Chapter 6

Sookie had never appreciated sunlight streaming through open curtains so much as this morning. Sure, it had truncated another already short night's sleep, but she wasn't in a coffin! Plus, she wasn't burning, or sparkling, or whatever it was vampire did who went out in the sun. Though, Meeting the Sun on her first day as a vampire would have been slightly ironic.

The second thing she noticed, after the sun, was that she was lying in a bed much too comfortable to be her own. Once her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she slowly sat up in her room at Eric's house. She was surprised he would take the time to bring her all the way to his house, considering the circumstances. That is, until she remembered no vampire was allowed in her house. It was either bring her to his place or leave her on the freezing grass outside. She probably should have been in a hospital, after the amount of blood she lost, but besides being a little light-headed, she felt fine.

Hesitantly, she brought her hand up to her neck, not quite sure if she wanted to stand up to look in the mirror yet. The punctured flesh from the previous night felt only bumpy. Had Eric, or perhaps Godric, given her their blood? Or had her little Dr. Hobbit been called in for specialized treatment? Sookie was sure she had been pretty close to the point of no return (or at least, no human return) when she blacked out. It was a frustrating realization that the night held more questions than resolutions.

Of course, there was one way to solve that. She twisted around, looking for the note she knew would be there as long as Godric had not expressly forbidden his child from writing one. It lay on the nightstand beside her bed.

_Everything is going to be fine now. Godric has recognized my claim on you. We will discuss everything when we rise this evening. Your car is outside if you wish to return home._

_- E_

Well, that was… abrupt. It left her wondering if everything really _was_ fine. Eric's notes were usually much more enjoyable than that, or at the very least informative. She finally got out of bed her new shirt falling down almost to her knees. Judging by the black color, she guessed it was Eric's and wondered if he had just trashed her old one. She definitely had no intention of ever wearing it again, if the blood stain would even come out. Now, she just had to figure out what she was going to wear for the rest of her day. Her pajamas were hardly enough cover to run outside for the morning paper, much less drive back to Bon Temps.

At least, some vampire had remembered to turn the heat up for the poor human. The house was even warmer than her drafty home. First, the necessities, then she snooped around the closets in her room in case she had left anything in her previous visits. Really, she should have known better because as always, Eric was prepared. The room held several choices of outfits, which she knew from experience would fit her perfectly. Finally settling on a blue turtleneck sweater and some jeans, she made her way to the kitchen.

Her first visit had seen a sparse array of options, but Eric had beefed things up for her returning trips. Now, she had a fully stocked, if small, kitchen with the proper kitchenware to actually cook herself a good breakfast. Considering how weak she felt, she needed some good protein. Eggs and sausage were soon cooking while she munched on a piece of toast.

Cooking these staples took little thought, so her mind wandered back to Eric's note. If Godric was recognizing Eric's claim, then he wouldn't be changing her into a vampire later on, so that was a good thing. And he had said "when _we_ rise" so Godric was probably with him. Another good thing? That one was more complicated as Eric could probably be controlled by a vampire who had tried to turn her just hours earlier.

Still, part of her rationalized that even with his memory gone, Godric still hadn't wanted to kill her. He wanted to keep her with him. It was kind of sweet, in a really weird way. Actually, sweet was taking it too far, but it was less psycho than just killing her outright. She made an egg sandwich with the remaining toast and dug into her food with some gusto. Her healing had left her very hungry, and a small part of her was happy to be craving food instead of blood. Like her life needed the added complication.

She was cleaning up the kitchen when a phone began to ring. Her cell was probably still safely inside her house, as Godric and Eric couldn't get to it, but she looked around all the same. Apparently, Eric had a house phone. It was news to her, but then she always just called his cell. If she hadn't recognized Luna's number on the called ID, she would have left it alone. Luna probably wasn't calling for Eric though.

"Luna?" Sookie answered the phone.

"Are you alright? Why aren't you at your house?"

"Things got complicated, but I'm alright. And I think we don't have to worry about Godric!" Her voice was filled with a little more cheer than she felt. She wanted to add another caveat to that statement, but left it alone until she had talked to Eric. "Sorry I worried you; I didn't think you'd be coming to the house this early." The day was still very young.

"I didn't either, but then Catfish called Merlotte's looking for you." Catfish was Jason's boss, and not on Sookie's frequent caller list. In fact, she didn't even know he knew her number.

"Is Jason alright? Did something happen at work?"

"Jason didn't show up to work this morning. His boss tried your brother's house first couldn't reach him, tried you, same story, so he called here. I told him I'd let you know. Catfish acted like that was strange, Jason not showing up, but I bet he misses work all the time when he find himself a girl to stay with, right?" She had that overly rational tone that people use when they think something bad has happened, but are trying to keep the other person calm. Of course, that only worried her more.

"No, actually. Jason's real good about showing up. He's got to be pretty sick before he misses work." She didn't really understand what it was he did, but she knew he did it well. "Was he at Merlotte's last night?"

"No, and look…" This is where the other shoe dropped. "Catfish sent some guy over to Jason's place to check. He wasn't there, but his truck was, with the door to it hanging open."

That scared her more than him not showing up to work. He loved that stupid truck. No way would he be so careless. "Look, I'm up in Shreveport, so I'm gonna drive down to his house."

"Want me to tell the police to meet you there?"

It said a lot about her recent life that calling the police had not even entered her mind. The human institution had seemed so lacking for all of her recent crises, but she had no idea if this new issue was of a supernatural nature or not. "Actually, would you be willing to come with me to look around? I'll pick you up on the way over? The police probably won't consider him missing until it's been 24 hours or whatever."

"Course I'll come, but if you are looking for me to sniff anything out, we better bring Sam. I'm not a great tracker."

"Would you ask him for me?" She felt a little bad using Luna against him, but this was her brother.

"No need, he said he'd come already." Luna's smile could be heard even over the phone.

"Thanks Luna. I'll see you in a few."

"We'll be ready."

"Thank you both for doing this. I'm sure it's not the morning you had planned."

"You either."

"Wait, how did you get this number?"

"Eric left it on your cell phone message, said you had lost your phone and to call you at this number."

"Oh… well, thanks." Sookie had not even know he could do that.

"See you in a bit, chica."

It was a nerve-racking drive back to her home town. She didn't even stop by her house for her phone but went straight through to Merlotte's to pick up her two shifter friends. They must have been waiting by the door because as soon as she pulled up, they came out of the doublewide Sam lived in. He climbed in her back seat, and Luna took the passenger side front seat. She appreciated that they hadn't both sat in the back, that felt a little too "Driving Miss Daisy."

"Sam, I hope you're not having to shut down for this?" It would be lunch time here before too long.

"Nah, Terry's having a pretty good day, so he is going help get things opened up. Arlene is coming in to pick up a couple hours."

"How did she seem?" Sookie knew the question sounded suspicious, but she had not even thought to check on her fellow waitress after everything the night before.

"Like Arlene. Said she was tired. Apparently, it took her longer than usual to get home last night."

"Good." Luna and Sam were giving her that look, but she wanted to focus on Jason right then. She would fill in the blanks for them later. "That you got everything covered, I mean."

"Sook, I'm sure Jason's fine. You know how distracted that boy can be." Luna must have interpreted her odd behavior as worry over Jason. While not wrong, that was only a part of it

"Yeah." If she were a psychic and not a telepath, she would tell them about her bad feeling, but that just sounded hokey.

"If anybody can find something out there, it'll be me and Luna." Sam's confidence eased her mind.

"Just think about it Sookie, a blood hound that can talk to you about what he smells." Put that way, it did sound very impressive. Sometimes, she forgot that Sam could turn into animals other than her favorite collie.

Distance-wise, nothing in Bon Temps was very far, but the small back roads made traveling slower than in the city. For Sookie, it felt like an eternity before they got to what had been her parents house before they died. Sure enough, there sat Jason's truck, door still ajar.

"Y'all want to change in the car?" Sookie asked, unsure what proper protocol was on this. She had never asked anyone to shift for her before.

Sam gave Luna a knowing look before answering. "Better not. We'll just go round the side of the house if you want to grab our clothes once we're done."

"Alright." The couple left her to go strip. It was lucky that the Two-Natured ran a little warmer than run-of-the-mill humans because even with her sweater on, she was still a little chilly. Her nice coat was still sitting inside her house, with her cell phone. She went over and shut the door to Jason's truck. If it had any battery left, she would be amazed. She knew they would take their time because changing when it wasn't a full moon wasn't as easy.

After a couple minutes, a bloodhound emerged from the other side of Jason's house. When he finally got close enough to Sookie, she could tell he had the same beautiful eyes as her collie. She patted him absent-mindedly on the head, while looking around. "Sam, where's Luna?"

When hound's droopy face turned, Sookie's followed to watch what must have been Luna walk out. It was nice that they had given her a minute to prepare before springing a cheetah on her. At least, she was pretty sure that was what the spotted feline before her was. It definitely wasn't anything indigenous to Bon Temps, LA. Both animal/humans froze at Sookie quiet gasp. It is one thing to know your friend can turn into a predatory animal, it is another thing entirely to see it.

"Sorry Luna, you just surprised me is all. We never really talked about this." She could not hear their thoughts at all when they were in animal form, but she knew that from Sam already. Slowly, Luna approached Sookie. The cheetah's sleek body looked very out of place among the pines of her brother's front yard, but there was no denying the grace in her movements. "You are beautiful."

Luna twined around Sookie, like a house cat might, making a sound that she could only describe as purring on a much louder scale than any tabby or calico could ever achieve. She had always petted Sam like the family dog he pretended to be, but she wasn't sure if that was allowed with an animal liked a cheetah. It wasn't until Luna lightly head-butted Sookie's leg that she finally reached down and stroked her friend's surprisingly coarse fur.

"Let's go into the house first." The bloodhound gave a low woof, which she took as agreement and went to unlock and open the door for her friends without imposable thumbs.

"So, a cheetah and a bloodhound walk into a house." It certainly looked like a joke as the three of them spread out around the house. Sam's nose was to the ground with little attention to anything else, Luna was looking around as if she could see every dust mite, and Sookie was just trying to stay out of their way. She opened a few shut doors for them, checked the gun cabinet to make sure nothing was missing, but mostly she just stood back and watched them work. They made a very thorough search of the place, so halfway through, Sookie went back out front just in case the police did show up. It would be hard to explain why a cheetah was in her brother's house. Maybe Sookie should tell Luna to change back if anyone did come. After all, a naked woman wouldn't seem that unusual to any Bon Temps cop at the house of Jason Stackhouse.

Another throaty bark brought her attention back to the odd couple as they exited the house.

"Find anything?" Both animals shook their heads in a decidedly sentient way. If their were no strange scents or vampires, Weres or unrecognizable humans, then maybe this had nothing to do with her troubles. "Well, you want to change back and I will just call the police?"

Sam shook his head this time as Luna started off towards the woods. Apparently, they were not quite done. Or they wanted to go for a run. Either way, Sookie wanted to sit in her car, where she could turn on the heat. There were no doors for her to open out in the wild. Having forgotten earlier in her shock over Luna, she went to gather up their clothes and put them in the back seat before hunkering down in front of her vents. She had started to dose off in the warmth of her car when there was a tap at her window. She half expected it to be Sam or Luna, but when she opened her eyes, she did not recognize the man standing before her.

"Ma'am, are you Sookie Stackhouse?" He seemed to know who she was. Did they have a new cop in town?

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to need you to step out of the car." Well, that didn't sound right. That was more like what you would say to a suspect, but rather than cause any trouble, she slowly made her way out of the car.

Once she was out, she looked around. Luckily, the Wered humans were nowhere in sight. She would really prefer not to explain that to anyone, especially law enforcement. Only, she didn't see a cop car. In fact, she didn't see any car, just her own and Jason's truck.

"Sir, where did you come from?" She asked as politely as possible.

"I'll be asking the questions here. Where is the vampire?" She _really_ shouldn't have gotten out of the car.

"I'm sorry, sir. Vampire? I'm pretty sure they can't come out during the day." Her mind was racing. He probably wasn't here because of Jason, but how had he found her? His mind was kind of slick, as if something was covering it from her, but she wasn't getting the same signature she got from Weres, so this guy was just plain old human, and she had vampire blood in her.

"Miss, this can go real easy if you will stop playing dumb and just answer my question. Where is Godric?"

He took a step towards her, and she took off towards the woods. Getting back in the house and locking him out appealed to her more, but she wasn't sure she was _that_ much faster than him. Sam and Luna were out in the woods, maybe she could get to them. She held that hope until her face hit a cushion of pine needles just off the driveway. Her scream echoed through the empty forest in front of her. It was one of the single most excruciating experiences Sookie had ever suffered, including having a vampire attached to her neck. It was as if both her calves had completely seized up with a cramp that caused her to go down, hard.

"I did try to warn you. Please do not run again. Hallow would like you whole in case we need you for the vampire." She could once again move her legs, as if whatever spasm had seized her had left, but the muscles still hurt when she tried to roll herself over. He was hovering over her now. It was just really not her day. "Now, tell me where the vampire is and we can move on."

"Did you check your mom's house?" She didn't know what made her say it. It sounded like something Jason would say to Hoyt. Maybe the cocky grin on the guy's face, or maybe she was just tired of getting picked on without being able to fight back. He thought he had won already, but she did not so easily betray a friend, even if that friend was currently insane. His lips began to move in some sort of incantation.

The pain hit her harder this time, which she had not thought possible. Her legs bent at an unnatural angle as the muscle was shortened. She tried to stop the scream that accompanied her pain, but it was futile. When her legs were once again released from what she could only assume was a spell, she did not even waste the energy to move them back.

"I do not enjoy this, but you should not protect this creature. They are aberrant, and only good for one thing."

She was laughing through the tears. She had to make jokes, or else she might say something she didn't mean to. It made her feel like she was in one of those movies, where you are impressed with the hero just laughing away his torturers. Only, she wasn't sure how long she could keep it up. "Hallow seems to think he is good for a couple of things."

"You bitch!" Apparently, that was a sore spot for him because he actually reached down and grabbed her by the shirt. At least if he hit her, he wouldn't be casting that spell. She had taken punches before, they were much easier to handle.

A low growl had both of them looking behind him. He stood to study the very pissed off looking bloodhound behind him, but he didn't see the cheetah coming at him from the other direction until it had leaped over Sookie, knocking him to the ground. When Sookie finally sat up, Luna had the man by the neck, a small trickle of blood flowing down to the gravel below him. The feline had not hit his main artery.

"Say anything that even sounds like a spell, and she will rip into your throat like a chew toy." The telepath spoke with confidence, and the growl that must have reverberated on his neck really helped to drive the point home. Sam came over to lick her face, and a part of her wondered if her tears tasted as good to him as they did to vampires. "I'm alright, just a little leg cramp." He whined, obviously they had heard her screams.

Rather than stand up, she scooted over to the witch. "Now, I am going to ask you some questions, and you are going to answer them, whether you want to or not." His eyes tried to look defiant, but she could tell he was scared. It was probably how she had looked just moments earlier.

"What do you want with Godric?" She saw it clear as day as she put her hand on him, a vampire being drained. It was horrible, but suddenly, their interest in Godric made sense.

"You were going to drain him!" His eye widened, but with a cheetah on his neck, he could hardly move. He must have put things together though because she could feel that same slickness coming over his thoughts, as if to protect himself from her. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong way to do it.

"Where is Hallow?" It's hard not to think of something when someone is asking you a direct question, and harder still when you have a very pissed off telepath forcing her way into your memories. He was not being cooperative, and Sookie had always wanted to try this. She had caught a glimpse of a very tall woman with tattoos on her face when she mentioned Hallow, so she mentally grabbed hold of that memory, her eyes closed to shut out distractions.

"More…" She whispered to herself as she tried to expand his memory. She could see an old building, then a neighborhood, but she didn't recognize it. Then she saw it, a street sign. She had what she needed, and it was a good thing because he was making a gurgling that was not pleasant. Sookie had the feeling it wasn't because of Luna either. She had never really tried to force anyone's thoughts like that before. Judging by his reaction, she should not readily repeat the experiment.

"I know where they are. What do we do with him?" He screamed as Luna's jaw clamped down and even struggled a little as his windpipe closed. Sookie should have protested, or at least made sure Luna wasn't going to kill him, but she just waited for him to blackout instead. At this point, she was fairly sure she was going to hell anyway. Might as well let those who hurt her get a little payback here on earth. Sure enough, as soon as he stopped struggling, Luna released him, but Sookie saw his chest still rising and falling.

"Shit, I meant to ask him how he found me."

* * *

A/N: I've just realized that I have possibly set this up to be the shortest fic ever, but don't worry, things will definitely be drawn out. This story is going to completely mess up the time line of the entire book...

Also, if you remember, it was implied that Luna was a bat, but I wanted to give her a little extra bad-assness


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: **Holidays are crazy**. I may or may not get out a chapter next week because I am trying to finish up the one shot I have been working on. If everything goes to plan, I will be posting it on January 14th! I really hope that you all are going to like it. It is very much in the spirit of Harris's own short stories where you learn interesting things about characters, but it is not necessarily pertinent to the over all story line.

Disclaimer: Harris owns all rights to SVM and Alan Ball owns Trublood. I simply borrow their ideas for your amusement in the off season. One scene in particular this chapter is pretty much all Harris's, but I am lazy and no changes made sense to me.

* * *

Sookie had thought that the first time she got to use all the new space in her trunk, it would be taking some bags on a weekend trip to Eric's or maybe even a big grocery shopping trip. Never had she thought she would be slowly driving around the back roads of Bon Temps trying to avoid any police with a man bound and gagged in the back. But then, it had been a rough twenty-four hours, and the day wasn't done yet! They had passed by her attacker's abandoned car further down the road from Jason's, and Sookie had made a mental note to call someone about that. Though she wasn't sure who.

She probably could have let Sam or Luna drive, but she had climbed in the driver's side as a matter of course. The two shifters were once again in fully-clothed human bodies, but they seemed to realize that she needed a moment to process because neither had spoken since they managed to get Mr. Witchy in her trunk.. Things were moving very quickly, but Sookie still had more questions than answers. Like how had he ended up at Jason's house? Jason…

She slammed on her brakes, the car skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust that was destined to cover her car.

"What did you all find out in the woods?" She asked hopefully. Torture had a way of de-railing the mind from its current course.

"Oh yeah. Well, Cher, I am pretty sure I know where he is."

"And?" Her prompt was insistent.

"We found a panther print out behind his house." Sam sounded like he was breaking some bad news to her.

"A panther…" Sookie leaned forward against her steering wheel. There had always been rumors that the large creatures inhabited their woods, but she had never really believed it. Only Jason would find one in his backyard… poor Jason.

"No, Chica. That girl, the one Jason met on New Year's?" Luna was smoothing Sookie's hair, encouraging her to stay with the story. "Her people are Were-Panthers."

"Were-panthers?" Two words seemed about her limit at the moment.

"Out in Hot Shot. They keep to themselves, but I know the guy who is in charge over there. I'll go see if they've got him."

"He's not dead?" She managed three words that time.

"Nah, not enough blood for that."

"Enough? There was blood?" Sam cringed as Luna turned around to hit him. It _had_ been a terrible choice of words.

"Only a drop; it might not even be his." Luna quickly tried to smooth over her boyfriend's slip of the tongue.

Sookie's grip on the steering wheel loosened as she caught her breath. Jason probably wasn't dead. It didn't sound great, but it definitely sounded better than he was attacked by a wild panther. "Probably" meant hope, and hope was very important to her at that moment.

"Alright, I am coming with you." She told the two as she started driving once more.

"Cher, I don't know that that is the best idea right now."

"Look here, Sam Merlotte, some other shit may be going on right now, but my brother is missing. Now, you say you know where he might be, so if you think for one minute that I am not going to be there for him, you got another thing coming. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." She nodded at him in the rearview mirror.

"What are we going to do about him?" Luna jerked a thumb towards the trunk to indicate their uninvited guest.

"I have a good idea where to put him." She said with an evil glint in her eye. After all, what better place to stash someone than a vampire hidey-hole. "We'll drop him off then head over to Hot Shot, if you can manage the time away, Sam." She didn't want his business to suffer. Now that she knew where Jason might be, she could go alone, even if she would prefer to have Sam with her.

"Of course we'll go, Sook. If witches are after you, you shouldn't be alone anyway."

She hadn't really thought about that. Were more out there waiting for her right now? It was wonderful to have friends who would stick with her through things like this. A regular old human probably would have run away screaming by now. "Thanks guys, you don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Well, we like having you around." Luna told her with a little squeeze to Sookie's arm.

"After all, I'd have never met Luna if it weren't for you." If she hadn't had a sweetie of her own, Luna and Sam's eyes meeting with that gooey look in them might have made her sick. As it was, it just made her miss Eric all the more. Not that they often made gooey-eyes… Eric's were usually much too steamy for that, but she was just fine with it, given the results.

The drive was not a long one to her house, comparatively. When she finally turned off Hummingbird Road onto her own driveway, she noticed something very important. Her front door was still open. Of course, the vampires had been unable to close it; the thing opened inward, and they couldn't so much as stick an arm in to grab the door knob without an invitation. Her heating bill was going to be astronomical.

"Maybe I should go in first." Sam offered from the backseat.

"It's fine. I left it open last night…" Her two passengers looked at her skeptically. "I didn't mean to, but like I said, things were a little crazy." She had neither the time nor the energy to explain.

"All the same, I think it would be best. I'll bark the all clear."

"Fine." Sookie pulled up front to give him easy access and waited while he changed behind her car. The bloodhound trotted up her front porch and into the wide open house. After only a few minutes of waiting, they heard the low woof that signaled it was safe to enter. Or at least, there was no one left because her house looked anything but safe. In fact, it had looked ransacked.

"They must have come here first." Luna walked with her through the disaster area.

Her furniture was in disarray, the contents of her closet and cupboards were everywhere. Even Godric's hidey-hole was laid bare.

"I guess we know what they were looking for." Sam spoke from behind them. He must have put back on his pants at some point while Sookie was looking around because she half-expected to see a dog talking to her when she turned around, rather than the shirtless man.

"But how did they find me?"

"We could always ask him nicely again." Luna had that wicked gleam in her eye, but Sookie wasn't sure she could do that again. If the lack of pounding on her trunk was any indication, he still had not woken from his slumber, and if he was as tired as she was after her bumble through his thoughts, she couldn't blame him.

"No, I don't think I can do that again. I know he brought whatever happens on himself, but honestly, I don't think I'm going to be of much use in the mind reading department."

"You can't really leave him here, they might come back." Sam was trying to sound logical among the ruins of her home.

"Yeah," she saw her phone and inspiration struck, "but I think I know who can hold him for us."

Within moments, she was on the phone with Alcide.

"Hey Alcide, how's everything on your end?"

"Well, Adabelle is officially through the woods now, so the pack is resting a lot easier. Now we can focus on tracking."

"I actually might be able to help you there."

"Really?" She was glad he only sounded surprised and not skeptical. "Whatcha know?"

"The street name… and I have someone I need the pack to look after for a while. Any chance you could down to my house? I don't really feel safe driving into Shreveport with a witch in my trunk."

"You caught yourself a witch?" Now, he sounded impressed, and Sookie couldn't help the small amount of pride that welled up in her. "You alright?"

"Hurting a little, but all in one piece. Besides, Sam and Luna did most of the catching really." She didn't want to take credit where it wasn't due. "But I managed to get some information out of him. My house isn't safe right now, it looks like they know where I live, so I can't leave him here. But I need to go find Jason, so I need someone to babysit him in the mean time. I know the vampires will want to talk to him, but I thought while they were out for the day, you all might have some questions of your own."

"Yeah, I'd love to take a crack at him." Sookie was fairly certain that Alcide meant that literally, but the guy really had brought it upon himself.

"If there's someone you can bring with you, I'd feel safer. I have no idea who else knows he was here or if there are more out looking for me."

"Everything alright with your brother?"

"Not really, but hopefully, it will be." It was the truth in simplest terms.

"I'll be down as fast as I can."

She hated to wait around for Alcide when she still didn't know anything about her brother, but it didn't seem safe to leave the witch at her house alone either. Instead, Sam and Luna helped her to start picking up the place. It was going to take some serious doing, but they at least had up most of the broken glass by the time Alcide arrived.

The worst part was not feeling safe in her own home. It was the third time in the last year that her home had been invaded. The first time her Gran had been killed, then she had been almost kidnapped by a Were, and now she was just glad that she had not been home this morning. Really, if Godric had not attacked her the night before, there was no telling where she might be or what state she would be in. Odd, that something so terrible at the time might have actually saved her life, or at least a good bit of pain.

"Cher, he's here." Sam touched her arm slowly, obviously trying not to scare her.

"Good, then we can get going." She set the broom aside and went around back to let him in. "Hey Alcide!" She called as he made his way inside.

"Whoa, what happened here?" It was the logical question to ask when stepping into the hurricane that was her usually pristine kitchen.

"Witches."

"Shit, sorry Sook." He tried to look sympathetic, but he already had that look she had seen the day before… bloodthirst? She was not really used to seeing it on living faces.

"It's just stuff." She tried to be non-chalant, but her voice caught a little as she stumbled over the final word. This was her Gran's stuff; stuff that the Stackhouses had passed down for generations, and someone had treated it like garbage. It made her angry and sad all at the same time. But she would cry later; for now, Jason.

It was a gathering of Two-Natured in her kitchen, and she planned on meeting some Were-Panthers here soon. Gran would have been proud of her open-mindedness. "Alcide, you know Luna."

"Hey." Her roommate's smile was less than gracious, but then, they had not had the best first meeting. Alcide had hit on Luna, and she had not fallen for his charm. It was weird. If Sookie hadn't had Eric… and had not known about Debbie, she would have definitely seen Alcide as a contender for the boyfriend category. Luna disagreed. Maybe she had already had eyes for Sam at that point. Either way, Luna had sidled closer to her boyfriend to make a point.

"And I don't know if you remember Sam Merlotte, my boss."

"I do, Sam." Alcide offered his hand, which the Shifter took. It was hard to tell if it was one of those strength-tester handshakes men seem to love so much, but neither of them looked to be straining. Sookie would take her small victories.

"Alcide, thanks for coming so quickly." Sam said politely, as Luna snaked her hand around his arm.

"My pleasure." Now that, he sounded like he meant with the same fire in his eyes.

"Look, I need to go, you have other people coming? I don't like you being here alone."

"Yeah, a couple of the pack are going to meet me here. Probably just got lost."

She tried to laugh at his joke, but it was halfhearted at best. "This probably isn't the best place to keep him, so take him wherever you think is best. If it won't give you the heebie-jeebies, you can always take him over to Bill's old house. It has been abandoned since he passed away. But come sundown, he better still be alive." She could not believe she was speaking these words. Actually, she totally could believe it, but it made her a little sad. "Or you can tell Eric why he didn't get a chance to question the guy that attacked me."

Affection for Eric was in short supply with Alcide, but an understanding of his power and anger was not. "Scout's honor."

* * *

The car ride to Hot Shot was an anxious one. It was a tight knit community that was considered a little backwoods even by Bon Temps standards. She had never been out there, but some of the guys came in to Merlotte's every once in a while after work. The fact that they were Two-Natured explained a lot, though the citizens of her fair town would probably not think much better of them if they knew the reason behind their secrecy.

"You know where Crystal lives?" Sookie asked when they turned onto the little street that held the houses of Hot Shot.

"No, but we need to find Calvin Norris. Panthers don't exactly run in packs, but if they did, he would be the Packmaster." It was nice of him to put things in terms she could understand.

"You think he'll help us?" She didn't enjoy the thought of trying to wrangle information out of someone again, but she would for Jason.

"I think so. They aren't a big fan of outsiders, but if he can keep something like this private instead of involving the police, he will."

With Supes everywhere, it was amazing the police had anything to do. Maybe keeping them around just made the humans feel better.

"Alright." She felt like they were being watched as they drove down the dirt road.

"I think it's this one." The house Sam pointed out was nicer than the rest. A shed had been built, it had been painted recently, and everything was in good repair. The man who lived there obviously took pride in his little piece of land. "Luna, why don't you wait in the car?"

"_Excuse me?_ You wait in the freaking car!"

"I don't want him to feel like we are accusing his people of anything. He knows me already, but showing up to his house uninvited with two shifters seems a little aggressive."

"I'll leave the heat running for you." Sookie attempted to pacify her friend.

"Fine." Luna was never one for missing the action. It was probably what had inspired her to work undercover at the Fellowship of the Sun, or to help Sookie out of that place. Part of Sookie wanted to believe that this was unusually action-packed for her little town, but lately, this was par for the course. If Bon Temps had a golf course…

"We'll be back in a minute." Sam leaned forward and gave Luna a kiss on the cheek when she made it clear she would not be turning her head for a real kiss.

He was grinning about something until he saw the look on Sookie's face. Luckily, she did not have to tell him to focus because he straightened his shirt and his crooked smile into something more business-like. They stepped up the concrete stairs, and Sam knocked for them.

Sookie did not recognize the older gentleman who answered the door, but having met two Packmasters before, she did recognize he had the same aura of authority and responsibility they had. He might have been dressed like any other blue collar worker, but this man was not. She could not imagine being in charge of keeping such a large secret. Actually, she could. It was lucky for the government she had never had an interest in working for them. She already had more than her fair share of top secret information.

"Calvin, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, Calvin Norris." His gaze suddenly turned a bit more appreciative, as if he had heard her name before.

"Pleased to meet you." She offered her hand as was polite. His were large, strong, calloused and warm, just as she had expected them to be, and his smile was genuine albeit guarded.

"Sam, didn't expect you down here. One of my boys causing trouble at the bar?" His voice had a pleasant rumble to it, and his concern had already put him on Sookie's good side.

"This isn't about my place. It's about Sookie's brother, Jason." Calvin was studying her, but she saw absolutely no recognition of her brother's name.

"Why don't y'all come in so we can talk? And you can invite your other friend in to."

Sookie signaled Luna, who wasted no time shutting down the car and catching up. Sookie did not miss the subtle sniff that Calvin gave the air she joined them. Maybe he could smell that she was Two-Natured. Did she smell like a cheetah? "Calvin, this is my girlfriend, Luna Garza."

"Miss Garza." He nodded towards her rather than reach through the throng of people on the tiny stoop, then led the way inside.

"Thanks, Calvin. Didn't mean to barge in on ya like this, but things are a little desperate right now." Calvin led them into a well used, but nice living room and sat down in the Lazy Boy, indicating the couch for them. It was a little bit of a squeeze, but Luna was so small they made it without looking too awkward.

"No offense, but what have I got to do with Miss Stackhouse's brother?"

"Sookie, please." She chimed in before Sam could answer for her. "And my brother has gone missing."

"I don't know nothing about that, sorry Sookie." He was telling the truth, but he wasn't happy about the implied suspicion. She had already figured he probably wouldn't, but it would have been so much easier if he had just said. 'Oh, you mean the young man sleeping it off at Crystal's…'

"Now, we're not accusing your people of anything here." Sam held up his hands in a placating manner. "But the fact is, he's been seeing Crystal and when we went over to the apartments, we found some blood near a panther print. Not an animal you see too often out here."

"I guess she knows?" Sooke knew Calven was asking Sam about how much she knew.

"Yeah, don't worry about her, she's good at keeping secrets."

"And you think Crystal's done him some harm?" Calvin's eyes were an unnatural gold which only got wider as he got angrier.

"Not particularly, sir." It would do no good to have this man against her. "I mean, my brother seemed to really like her, so I can't see why she would do something to him. I'm still hoping he'll come waltzing out here any minute and ask me why I was raising such a fuss. But he's my only brother, and I got to find out what happened to him." The strain in her voice and the tear that rolled down her cheek caused Calvin's face to soften just a bit, and he even reached out to pat her hand to their mutual surprise.

"Why don't we just go over and talk to Crystal? Mayhap he'll be there, or she might know where he ran off to."

"You have no idea how much I would appreciate that."

"I understand the importance of family. We'll walk over; she should be home." Their little caravan made its way across the street and a couple houses down to one of the more ramshackle houses with an odd assortment of furniture on its porch. Calvin knocked, but it took a moment before any answered. When a young woman in some jeans and a cream t-shirt answered the door, she immediately let everyone in. Apparently, you didn't keep Calvin waiting outside.

"Uncle Calvin, everything alright?" Sookie wasn't too surprised my the familial tie. Small communities tended to have tons of those.

"Crystal, this woman has got some questions for you about her brother. You answer her, or I'll know why."

Calvin sat on the couch next to his niece, and Sookie took the open chair caddy-cornered to them while Luna and Sam did their best to meld into the background of the small room. Another girl came out to take the small child who was playing with blocks on the floor. She looked to be Crystal's younger sister and very pregnant, but seeing the company, she swept up the child and headed towards the back of the house, leaving the others to talk.

"Did you know my brother was missing?" No need to beat around the bush.

"I didn't do nothing to him!" She blurted out. It was not a denial of his going missing, but Sookie still reluctantly believed her.

"What do you know?" Sookie tried to remain polite, but it wasn't easy. Crystal looked to Calvin for a way out, but the man's face was stern. He would be no help to her now that he knew she had some small part in all this.

"We met on New Year's, and had such a good time, I told him I wanted to see him again. He's real good in bed." She sneered at Sookie, obviously not liking the way this was going.

Calvin moved before Sookie could even cringe at the thoughts in Crystal's head. The blood on the female shifter's lip was the only indication that Calvin had slapped her, though he was glaring at her hard. "Don't you be ugly to this woman."

"Yes, sir." She managed to look sheepish.

"Did you see him last night?" Sookie decided to just gloss over the exchange.

"Yeah, and he went out to pick us up some beers when he ran out. I heard him pull up, but he didn't come in the front. I could hear him out back, which I thought was weird, but then I figured he was just gonna come through the back. Only he didn't, and I heard him outside. I didn't think to check the window cause I could tell it was him, you know? He passed right by the house, didn't even step on the porch. I heard him out near the woods, only cause I was listening real good. Then I heard a lot of noise, some shouting, like maybe there was a scuffle, but I didn't do nothing to him."

"Did you go out to look?" Calvin's hand was rubbing up and down his niece's arm in a fatherly manner. The girl must really have had some feelings for her brother; the story had obviously upset her.

"No sir. I can't change when the moon ain't full, and I didn't know what had happened. I'm not brave like that, nothing I could have done anyway. I could smell some blood, but I couldn't track or nothing. It might have been a shifter, but I can't be sure. I was pretty sure something had taken him into the woods, so I just came home. Who was I gonna tell?"

Sookie wanted to comfort the girl who was staring down at her hands after admitting her own cowardice. Or at least, she thought it was probably the right thing to do, but she couldn't drum up the initiative. She just sat there, trying to hold back her own tears. Her brother had been hauled off into the night by something or someone. It was not looking good.

Finally, a thought managed to wiggle its way through her growing despair. "Crystal, you said you can't change when it isn't a full moon?"

"Yeah, so what? Lots of people round here can't." For a coward, she still had a pride to wound, but Sookie did not feel like dancing around it.

"At Jason's house, there was a panther print. You didn't make it?"

"I just done told you I can't change. How the hell would I have made it?" She flinched when Calvin's hand descended on her shoulder. "I mean, no. It wasn't me."

"Who else knew you were seeing that boy, Crystal? Anyone that can change whenever?"

The she-panther's eyes widened in horror.

"Who's Felton?" Sookie asked Calvin, since Crystal was not being forthcoming.

"How'd you know about him?" Her brother's fling was looking at her with suddenly wary eyes.

"You were practically shouting it in your head." She had definitely picked it up clear as a bell.

"He's one of the locals, has a real flame for Crystal here." Surprisingly, it was Sam who had answered. She had almost forgotten he and Luna were still there. When all eyes looked to him for explanation, he continued. "Told me once after a few too many at the bar."

Without a word, they all exited the house, except Crystal who remained sitting on the couch. Had the girl had suspicions and kept them to herself? How could she not have recognized the scent of someone she must have known well, one of her own people? Calvin led them over a few yards to another not so well kept house. Sookie had to work to keep up with all the Two-Natured around her, but her worry for Jason kept her swift. That, and the small infusion of vampire blood she had undoubtedly received the night before.

Calvin's knock was insistent, but they all heard the "What?" called from inside. "Open." A single word from Calvin elicited a quick response from the inside occupant.

Felton did not so much get out a greeting. "Where's the man?"

It was obvious to everyone looking that the question left him floundering, but he kept it together. "What man?"

Sookie had never seen someone Were only a part of their body, but suddenly Calvin's hand was a paw that raked Felton across the face, leaving the younger man on his knees.

"Do not lie to me, boy. Where is he?"

"I've got him here." He told them, trying to hold his jaw at the same time.

"He'd better be alive, or so help me God I will kill you myself." She had actually grabbed the front of his shirt. He was probably stronger than her, but she did not care. At that particular moment, she felt entirely capable of fulfilling her threat.

Everyone in the room looked as though they believed her as well. Calvin and Luna looked impressed, Sam looked a little disappointed, and Felton, well, Felton looked like he might lose his lunch. "He's alive, I swear. Out back in the shed."

"It's freezing out there!" She released him to crumble to the floor and raced after Calvin. If anyone noticed that she was particularly fast they could either chalk it up to adrenaline or shove it. It was lucky that the day was still young, or she would have been tripping all over the place in Felton's cluttered backyard. As it was, Calvin still reached the door before her, breaking the lock that held the door shut with ease. Apparently, no one was afraid the culprit would run because Sam and Luna had followed as well.

"Jason?! Jason, are you alright?" Sookie called as she fell down on her knees beside the blanket that served as the pallet Jason was laying on.

"Sookie? I knew you'd find me!" Jason looked cold, and a little dirty, but there was still some life in his eyes. That was good, she was not sure what she would find, but he had trapped in here for less than 24 hours. "He bit me, Sook. He freaking bit me!"

She could clearly see the barely scabbed over teeth marks from where Felton had pierced her brother's skin. Sookie quickly turned her face, so Jason wouldn't see that she had paled. True shifters were born, but the Hollywood idea of Wolfman was very similiar to what bitten-weres looked like. Alcide had once told her that it usually took several bites which is why there were so few running around. Her brother had only been bitten once from what she could see.

"Sam, can you help Jason to my car? I'll be along in a minute, but I don't want him in here another second." She was watching Felton, who had slunk out to join them.

"Sure, Cher." Luna and Sam got on opposite sides of Jason and helped him to his feet. Her mood brightened a little when she saw that he was able to walk on his own for the most part. He was going to be okay... but he might also be a half-panther next full moon, which wasn't too far away.

"You bit him?!" She yelled once Jason was out of ear-shot. "What were you trying to do exactly?"

"Crystal likes him more cause he's an outsider. I figured if he's one of us, she'd go back to liking me best."

"You stupid son of a bitch." Part of her wanted to slap him again, but he looked too pitiful for the effort. The already taxing day was beginning to weigh heavily on her.

"If he was only bitten once, chances are he won't turn, but if he does, we will be there to keep him safe." Calvin told her soothingly.

"I appreciate that." She tried for sincere, but it only sounded angry.

"As for Felton, if we take care of it, will Jason agree not to talk to the police?" So they would kill Felton to keep all this quiet? Better him than her or Jason. No matter how wretched he looked, Sookie could find nothing for Felton except disdain. She would not plead for his life.

"He'll agree. As far as we are concerned, Jason spent the night with Crystal here... but the relationship isn't going to work out." She stressed the last part. One way or another, she was going to separate her brother from that woman.

Calvin nodded his understanding, and Sookie walked away. Her last remaining family member was waiting for her in her car, and despite what was happening in her own life, she intended to protect him.

* * *

A/N: For those of you who don't know… I hate Jason. I **_very, very_** seriously thought about killing him off, but that seemed a little mean to Sookie. Killing her last living relative and what not. I wanted to finish up that part of the story line quickly while also cutting out further need of him in the future books. He will still be around, but not nearly as much.

Also, sorry that I have been so bad about replying to your reviews. I try and what for all of them to come in, but then I can't remember which I have done and which I haven't, and it is all a mess. **I promise that I will do much better for here on out, so review to hear from me!**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: One little Jason scene to clear things up, then things start getting serious!

**If you have not read the One-Shot associated with this story, I published it last week with the name Vampire Appreciation Night! Please Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: C. Harris and A. Ball are responsible for the creation of all characters, and most of the plots/themes/settings of this fic. Any copying not intended for financial gain, only some accolades from you readers!

* * *

Afternoon had come and past while they ran around looking for Jason, but there was still some time to kill before nightfall. Sam and Luna had already been dropped off back at Merlotte's with profuse thanks from Sookie and a strongly worded promise that she would not keep them out of the loop once the vampires/Weres decided how to act. From Luna's expression, she got the distinct feeling that if it came down to a fight, there would be a cheetah present and probably whatever it was Sam decided would work best. Probably not a bloodhound or collie… Honestly, she had just been excited that they were distracted enough to forget about wanting to know the details of her previous night. The less people she had to tell, the better.

The problem now was, she didn't know where to go. She really didn't feel comfortable returning to her house yet. Someone had obviously been there, and she did not want to face the destruction they had left in their wake. Unfortunately, at least one witch had managed to find Jason's house as well. Even just returning Jason there might put him back in harm's way. They had stopped by only long enough for him to take a shower, clean and dress his bite, and get changed. Sookie had insisted that it was bad for him to stay locked up in his house after the trauma instead of telling him rather than fully explain the danger of their situation. Eventually, the promise of a good meal and maybe a little shopping had persuaded him.

It was a catch-22 if she had ever heard of one. Keeping him by her side while she was a target put him in danger, but leaving him by himself left him alone without any protection. Maybe she should have asked one of the Weres to look after him. Unfortunately, she doubted they were very big on babysitting, unless the kid happened to be a witch they wanted to beat the snot out of. She cringed at the thought, which must have been an appropriate response to whatever Jason had been saying because he nodded enthusiastically.

"He turned into a freaking panther." Jason leaned across the table at the diner to whisper. They had long since finished their lunch, but Sookie had wanted to kill time in a very public place. Sookie took a sip of her coffee while Jason finished the last bite of her pie. From the way he had eaten, you would have thought he had been in captivity a week.

"I did try to warn you." She tried for a not_ so_ 'told you so' kind of tone, but it didn't quite work. He looked much better after his shower, and his spirits were already greatly improved. The boy was resilient, and she was having a hard time remembering to go easy on him while he grumbled.

"I'm gonna kick his ass." She could tell from his head that it was all bravado, but the fight in his head ended in a shiver when Felton turned into a panther. At least he was smart enough to realize that.

"Jason, look… you're never going to see Felton again." Her compelling tone was met with a cavalier smile.

"Sookie, I'm a grown man. Next time, I'll just make sure I've got my gun." His pride had definitely been hurt more than anything else.

"Jason, the people like him, they can't let anyone know about them. By dragging you into it, Felton put them all at risk. They can't allow a danger like that."

"So, they're gonna send him away?" Her brother had never looked more child-like as he pondered through the conundrum of her words.

"No Jason…" She could not say it out loud. If she did, it would feel like she had done it herself.

"Then what?" She watched realization dawn on him. The gravity of it made him look as though he aged before her eyes. "Oh…"

"That's why you have to promise me, promise you won't tell anyone about them." She tried for as serious a face as she could manage, channeling her Gran, but Jason only laughed.

"Who'd believe me anyway?" Just like that, his flippancy was back in place. Usually, she tried to stay clear of her brother's head, but this was too important to worry about his privacy. He was already thinking about talking to Godric about it, one weirdo to another. And maybe Hoyt would believe him.

She reached across the table to grab his hand. Jason looked down, surprised by her speed. They had both been athletic in high school, but she had never been faster than him. "Jason Stackhouse, you listen to me good. The only reason you are here right now is because I gave my word that you would keep your mouth shut. If they think you are a risk…" She had almost told him the full truth, that they would likely kill him, but his eyes had gotten wide. He was still scared, and he was still her brother. "If they think you are a risk, I will have to send you away. I don't want to lose you. So you keep your mouth shut about the people in Hot Shot and tell everyone you spent the night with Crystal, you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am." He gave a mock salute, but she knew it had gotten through to him. Now, if only she felt sure it would stick.

"Those jeans are gonna be useless. Why don't we go to that new department store in Monroe and get you a new pair? My treat!" It was not often that she got to do something for her brother, and malls had lots of people. They should be fine while driving, which meant they could kill a lot more time going over there than just driving to the local Wal-Mart.

"Sounds good to me!" He liked new clothes almost as much as she did. They had already paid for their meal, so they got up to leave. The diner had one of those boards where people post notices. Upcoming town events, high school students willing to babysit or mow lawns were all tacked to the board, but it was the missing poster that caught her attention.

"Isn't that Godric?" Jason asked as he tapped the artist rendering of the unmistakable vampire. The ad stated that they had lost contact with an old friend and wanted to find them. A large reward was listed for anyone who could provide information on his whereabouts. "Who'd be looking for him?"

"Not old friends…" Was this how the witches had found her out? Had some helpful native let them know the vampire in the picture lived with Crazy Sookie Stackhouse? Anyone who listened to the town gossip, which was everyone, would know as much. She hoped their talkative nature had not brought unforeseen trouble on one of her neighbors, but mostly she just wished they had all kept their mouths shut.

She just needed to make it till sundown. Then, everything would be okay. Hopefully…

* * *

Her phone had rung as soon as the sun set, with a request to meet at Eric's house from Pam. It had worried her that Eric had not called her directly, but he was probably busy arranging things. Apparently, the Weres were coming as well. At least, the voicemail message she had left on his cell must have gotten through to him.

Reluctantly, she had brought Jason with her. He was happy with some of his new clothes. She knew he was itching to try his new jeans out on the ladies, but she just wasn't comfortable leaving him on his own.

Eric's driveway looked like a regular house party. The poor man at the gate had seemed unusually frazzled when he let her through. Considering the number of motorcycles and pick-up trucks that were parked on the street, he had seen a fair bit of traffic, and probably not the politest of traffic. Without even entering, the feeling of excited tension that permeated the house had already seeped into her own head, making her feel jittery. She had called Luna on the way over, so they would be there before too long.

"Jason, once we get there, I am going to ask you to go to my room. It's at the end of the main hall; you can't really miss it. You have enough secrets to keep as is."

Her brother nodded, but she got the distinct feeling he did not actually intend to listen to her. His foray into the world of Shifters had opened up a door in his mind. Suddenly, he was feeling a little superior because of this new knowledge. It's one thing for a human with her pecularity to know what she knew. She had good reason to keep quiet, but Jason… well, Jason kept quiet about very little. She really did not want to have to make good on her promise to send him away, but if Alaska would keep him safe, well, maybe Eric would help her arrange it.

"Let's go." Jason followed a step behind her as she went through the open garage into the door by the kitchen. No sooner had she entered than Pam was next to her.

"Yum… you must be Sookie's brother." Pam eyed him up and down. Sookie had learned long ago that Pam was very open minded in her choices, but she didn't want those choices to include Jason. "He smells almost as good as you do."

"He's off limits." It came out a little harsher than she had intended, but all the strong emotions swirling around the house had left her already frazzled nerves on the edge. Pam pouted and Jason looked affronted, but things were too busy for either to protest as Pam took her arm and dragged her into the dining room which held a map and the largest single gathering of vampires and Weres she had ever seen.

A chair had been left open next to Eric, which Pam pushed her into. Rather than break up the planning, she just nodded a greeting to Colonel Flood, Alcide, and the few vampires who had turned to acknowledge her entrance. Eric did not stop his explanation of the layout of the street, but he did reach one hand over to cover the fist she had unconsicously clenched on the table. The relief that came with the contact made her sigh. It did not erase the emotions around her, but it did dull them. As if watching others experience them without making them her own. Godric was watching her intently, and she quickly averted her eyes. His look had been too calculating for her to endure. There was none of the softness she loved left to them.

"You brought your brother?" Eric asked her quietly when one of the Weres began speaking. Sookie followed his gaze to Jason, who was standing open jawed against a wall. Apparently, the word witch and pack had already been used once or twice in his presence.

"He had a run in with a were-panther earlier, and the witch we caught was at _his_ house. I couldn't just leave him, but I told him to go wait in another room." She sighed in exasperation. This was just what she needed.

"You!" Godric was looking displeased at Jason, who in turn looked very confused. It was definitely not an expression he was used to from Godric. Sookie could feel the weight of Godric's compulsion as he spoke to Jason. "Listen to your sister and return to her room, stay there quietly until someone comes to get you."

A few of the Weres shifted uncomfortably in their seats, watching Godric use his power on a human. Sookie almost spoke up, but Eric's increased pressure on her hands kept her silent. It was one of those times to pick her battles. Alcide tried to get her attention, but she never did see what exactly he was trying to signal to her as the person behind him caught her attention. There, in living glory and with a stink eye to clear the room, stood Debbie Pelt. The night just kept getting better and better.

"If you are to be of any use tonight, you need not be distracted." Her attention snapped back to Godric, who was looking between the glaring Debbie and her. "We may well be dealing with some humans, and your assistance will be required."

Eric grimaced. Had this been an argument already? He was obviously not happy about something.

"How's she supposed to help?" Debbie piped up from her spot. Every eye turned towards her, and while Alcide had the good grace to look embarrassed; Debbie only looked smug.

"She can read the minds of the living. Do not interrupt again, or I will have you put outside." Eric might have been the one doing the planning, but Godric was the real power in the room. Usually, he and Eric shared the responsbility of things, but it was Godric who was staring Colonel Flood down, daring him to say otherwise. The Colonel looked just as ready to throw Debbie out as Godric did. The atmosphere was already strained enough without her adding fuel to the fire.

Eric must have filled Godric in on who she was while Sookie was sleeping off her near un-death experience. Was that why she still had a heart beat? Judging by the expression on Debbie's face, Alcide had not shared the detail of Sookie's ability with his ex. Even though Sookie could not exactly read what Debbie's thoughts on the matter were, she gave her best knowing smile and enjoyed the sight of the woman turning a deep shade of red. Her thoughts had probably not been pleasant ones.

Luna and Sam chose that moment to slip into the dining room. There were no seats left at the table, so the two stood awkwardly between the vampire and Were section. Not Pack, but most definitely not vamp either. They both were looking between the two factions in confusion, but Sookie shook her head. If they had missed the small confrontation, there was no reason to rehash it.

"Now that we are all here, can we continue?" Eric did not exactly break the tension, but he did manage to shift the focus back to business. The Weres welcomed the diversion with enthusiasm. Apparently, they had been hard at work interviewing the witch because they had a wealth of information including numbers, strengths, weaknesses and even some personnel descriptions.

"Very good. We have a diagram of the blueprints for the build as well as a map of the outlying streets. The places you see marked are our starting points. We will be going in small group as to not raise the alarm too early. They are missing one of their own, so they are sure to be on the alert." Eric speaking those words did nothing to comfort Sookie. She had not thought about that fact, but everyone else was nodding as if they already knew.

"Between their failed attack on Adabelle and the capture of another coven member today, their numbers are down." Colonel Flood reminded them of an upside to counterattack Eric's pessimism.

"They've been drinking vampire blood." It was her turn to give some useful information. She watched as several of the Weres attempted to hide their looks of disgust, but she had not heard them mention it. Maybe the Weres had not been quite so concerned with why Hallow had wanted Godric in the first place. "That's why they wanted Godric, to drain him."

Sookie jumped when Godric's fist left a small dent in the table. At least he had controlled himself enough to keep it in one piece. "He told you that? We have a someone working on him now if the Weres missed anything, but getting answers out of him is difficult in his current state." Eric spoke, casting a not too happy glance at the Weres. Apparently, they had not gotten that tidbit from their questioning. Sookie shuddered at the mental image she got from an exceptionally clearly broadcasting Were.

"Sort of…" The grain of the table was suddenly very interesting. She knew those around the table were watching her, but she still wasn't quite sure how she felt about forcing thoughts out of people. On the other hand, she _did_ know she did not want to debate it here.

"It is important to remember they will be stronger than you." She wasn't sure if Eric had meant that to be as condescending as it had sounded, but luckily, Colonel Flood spoke up once again.

"Two-Natured should not attack as individuals." It was nice of the Colonel to open it up to include Sam and Luna… and Debbie. Though she didn't care as much about the last one. "Stay in pairs to ensure we do not lose any of our numbers." What were the chances of them not losing anyone from this? Even if the probability was not great, she was glad the Weres were planning towards that end.

"If that is everything, we should be going. The longer we plan, the longer they have to do the same." It was strange that even having lost his memory, Godric still allowed Eric to take the foreground when it came to planning, remaining the silent power. Had they always been this way?

"My scouts tell me the roads are mostly clear of civilians." She really hoped that every human was locked up behind closed doors.

"Then everyone to your posts, but do not go before you receive the signal." Given the look in the vampires' eyes, she felt sorry for anyone who might jump the gun.

Almost in unison, everyone at the table stood to go to their respective cars. They would take different routes to not appear at all once in the same place. Luna and Sam came over, and Eric was nice enough, or distracted enough, to do a recap of the plan and describe their role. They were to act as Sookie's vanguard. The waitress had missed the part where she would not only be the first one near the building, but would be opening the door to invite in the vampires. It made sense, of course. All the Two-Natured would have already changed into animals, and she was the best one to get an accurate count of who/what was in the building. But Eric was watching Godric the entire time he explained the plan and Godric was studying her. She got the distinct feeling that things were not quite as fine as Eric had made it sound in his note.

"Since you'll be with us, Sook, you can ride over in the truck." Luna offered, taking her friend's arm.

"No…" Godric's voice sounded louder without all the bodies of the Weres to dampen it. "The telepath and my son have something to discuss before they leave. She will meet you at the site."

It hurt her a little to have Godric refer to her that way, but she smiled for Luna and Sam's sake, extricating herself from Luna's grasp. They were already heading towards a fight with the witches; she didn't need one to break out here. "Eric'll get me there, don't you worry! See you guys there!" She ushered them out the kitchen door, Godric following close behind her. Was he making sure that she didn't run?

Luna was arguing with Sam as they made their way to his truck, but he had a firm grip on her arm. She was glad that Sam knew when to pick his fights, just as she was glad that Luna wanted to be there to protect her. Sometimes she thought she did not deserve the friends she had been blessed with.

"I did not understand it, at first, but I am beginning to see it now."

"Huh?" Had he been reading her thoughts?

"My son has been telling me about the vampire I have become. _That_ I still do not understand. It sounds as though I have become weaker with the years instead of stronger."

"No, you're definitely stronger. In fact, you're probably the strongest vampire I know, and I'm not saying that cause you pulverized my car." She watched Sam and Luna pull away without ever turning to the vampire behind her. Eric had remained inside, and she did not want to look at Godric like this if she did not have to.

"Eric also explained your feelings for me. You are a complicated, for a human. It must be the fairy in you."

"If you don't think you like who you were before, and let's get this straight, I much prefer the old you, then why are you going through all this?" She really did want to get her Godric back, but the question had been nagging at her.

"My, we are being very forward this evening." He could hear the amusement in his voice, but it brought no warmth to her.

"I figured if you were going to kill or turn me, you would have finished it off last night." She sounded much braver than she felt.

"True, to a point." He stepped up very close behind her, his hand on her arm keeping her from taking her a correspnding step away. He turned her towards him until she was looking in his eyes. "As of now, you are worth more in this form. My progeny believes you may lose your power if you are turned. I remain unconvinced but agreed to keep you this way with a few conditions. As to your question, the witch has taken something of mine. I will not let that stand." God, he was frightening. His hand was unconsciously tightening on her arm. She might not have been able to read his thoughts, but he was, no doubt, thinking of how he would exact his revenge on the witch who had cursed him.

"So, then what are you beginning to see?" Sookie just wanted him to stop imaging violence for her arm's sake.

"I think I can understand what it was I saw in you that drew me." He was leaning in towards her, and she suddenly wished that he was still picturing violent ends. That was much easier to handle. "Do not keep my son waiting."

He whispered the words into her ear and then took off into the night sky. Fear had incapacitated her lungs, so Sookie took a precious minute to catch up on the air she had missed. When she finally had regained her senses, she realized she was wrapped in Eric's arms.

"I let Jason know what is going on. He is not quite sure why he is hanging out in your bedroom, but he found the TV, so he will be fine. Are you alright?" He asked into her hair.

"I honestly don't know." She could have lied, but she just didn't feel like it.

"After tonight, he will have his memories back, and this will all be a bad dream." His gentle strokes on her back did not bring the comfort she so desperately wanted.

"I really hope so." She felt the kiss on top of her head and nuzzled deeper into his chest, wishing they could just stay like this for the next couple hours. Unfortunately, reality demanded their attention. "So, what were his conditions for keeping me human?"

"Most of them only apply to if you are in a near death situation or if you age too much, so they will not affect us."

"But?" She waited for the other shoe to drop.

"The only immediate stipulation is that we exchange blood once again."

"That's it?" She asked skeptically. They had done that before; it didn't seem like a big deal.

"As you know, when we exchange blood, it helps me to keep track of you. The greater the frequency, the greater the bond. Godric only wishes to ensure your safety."

"You mean he wants to ensure that I remain an asset." Her cheek left his shirt when he pulled away to look at her.

"Right now, those two things coincidence. Shouldn't we be grateful for small victories?"

"Yeah, you're right. If that's all we have to do to get us through tonight, then let's do it!" She looked around, a little unsure when they had ended up back in his house. Had he brought her in earlier? Whenever it had happened, she was glad for it. Exchanging blood in Eric's front yard did not appeal to her.

She was up on the kitchen counter with her vampire boyfriend standing between her legs. Any other time, she would have been quite ready for another fantasy to be played out, but she got the feeling this time was going to be a little different. They hardly had the time if they didn't want the others waiting for them too long. Eric produced a small knife and cut his own wrist in a quick motion. She flinched for him but accepted his wrist when he placed it before her.

The few other times they had exchanged blood had been either in cases of injury or arousal. Sucking down his blood in the absence of either was difficult. She almost stopped when he bit into her own wrist, it hurt a lot more than usual, but he was urgently taking in her blood. The telepath continued to take sluggish drinks until he licked the marks on her arm and stepped back. He seemed more affected than usually by the exchange, besides just the fit of his pants, but she couldn't tell why.

"Eric?" She asked quietly. He was studying her for some reason, as if waiting for something.

"Come on, we need to get you there. Everyone is waiting."

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A/N: This chapter just would not come for some reason, but I am fairly satisfied with how it turned out. Hope you all enjoy it too!

Next chapter, we face the witches… and things get pretty interesting!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Not the longest of chapters, but I think quite possibly the most action packed chapter I have ever written. Enjoy!

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Usually, Eric did not pay too close attention to the road when he drove, but tonight, his eyes were going nowhere else. Every once and a while, Sookie would look over at him, thinking he had turned her way, but the vampire was still staring straight ahead. Perhaps, he was more concerned about the night's events than she thought. She knew for a fact that she was getting more and more nervous the closer they got, and oddly excited.

Sookie had begun to rationalize the excitement was simply over Godric being restored to his rightful self, but it felt different somehow. There was something she couldn't quite put her finger on. The closer they got, the more amped up she got, until she was tapping her fingers rhythmically on the door just to have some occupation. Eric had to clear his throat before she balled up her fists and planted them firmly in her lap. If her foot started tapping instead, Eric let that one go.

"Sookie, are you alright?" They had made it to their rendezvous spot at some point, and she had not moved from the car.

"Yeah, sorry, just ready for this all to be over." Eric nodded his understanding but looked unconvinced. Sookie wasn't exactly convinced either, but it also wasn't the time or the place to try and figure out what was wrong with her. They would have plenty of time for that after the witches were dead. The thought stopped her once again. Had she just wished them dead? It was probably the foregone conclusion of the night either way.

The vampire sheriff went over the plan once more. It may have been that he was worried she would forget an important step in the process as frazzled as she was, which was a valid concern. The plan was that Sookie would go in first with Luna and Sam to get a count of hostiles inside the building, then Luna would relay that information back to the groups around them. Once she had made the circuit, everyone would go in with Sookie leading the charge to invite in all the vampires. The witches were sleeping there, so the vampires were fairly certain house rules would apply. Sookie still wasn't sure how a cheetah was going to give a head count, but she decided not to question it.

Finally, Sookie willed herself out of the car. They had been given the spot closest to the building to get them there quicker. The longer they all stood around, the greater the chance they would get caught. Once she was out in the cold night air, Sookie almost stumbled into a large furry creature. For a moment, she thought it was Luna, but it was much too big to be a cheetah. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, and she realized she was staring at a lion. Her gasp was not one of fear but of awe.

Sam had turned into probably the most majestic creature she had ever beheld. She held out her hand to stroke his beautiful mane but thought better of it, which left her hand outstretched in front of her.

"May I?" She asked, not quite sure if she was asking permission of Sam or of Luna, but he took the final step towards her to cover her hand in the crown of fur that surrounded his immense head. Seeing them on TV, you realize they are large, but it's hard to really fathom until you are standing next to one. Luna looked like a house cat beside him, but Sookie reached out to pat her on the head as well, sharing the love. Sam's fur was much softer than Luna's, but she had no intention of telling her friend that.

"Are you ready?" Eric asked from behind her. The real answer was no, but Sookie nodded rather than let her voice betray her.

Sam and Luna went on either side of her as they moved towards the old building that had once housed a bakery/floral shop. It was large and abandoned, apparently, the perfect place for a band of rogue witches to hide out. With each step they took towards the hideout, Sookie thought of a new reason to leave, a new reason to go _anywhere_ else. They had warned her that the witches might have put something like this in place to ward off any nosy neighbors, but the information did little to lessen the feeling. She finally had to intertwine her fingers into Sam's mane, his momentum helping her to move on. Even Luna got behind her to butt up against her legs after Sookie had attempted to turn back once or twice.

Her brain was at war with itself. The witches had inspired this compulsion to flee, but she also had an overwhelming desire to storm into the building. Sookie wasn't sure she approved of either sensation. They both felt alien even in her own head.

The rag tag group finally stopped behind some dumpsters that would have had Sookie's head reeling from the stench had the cold not quelled it. The waitress bent down, holding on to Sam and Luna and their strange mental signatures to try and center herself before she prodded the rooms with her mental awareness. This should have been much easier than it was; she had done it enough while practicing for her work with Eric. Something was not right with her.

She took her time, triple checking just to make sure she had not missed anyone. "Tell them nine people."

Luna did not wait for anything further, but took off into the night. The reason the three of them had been chosen instead of some vampires was that the witches would not have warded against the Two-Natured and humans since that is what their own number consisted of. Sookie hoped that was true.

She abruptly found herself sitting on the ground, running her hands through Sam's mane. The telepath had certainly not made any conscious decision to do so.

"I bet Luna can run really fast." It was an odd thing to say, considering Luna was currently a cheetah. "Do you two ever race?"

Obviously, Sam could not answer, but he did tilt his head at her in a very human look of confusion. Sookie was shivering, despite her warm jacket. It was not just her teeth chattering, she felt like her whole body was buzzing. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. There was too much in her head. They weren't thoughts per-say; it was just too much. Being a telepath, you would think that she would have been used to the mental overload of others inside her brain, but this was so much more.

She finally realized that Sam was licking her face, which was odd because his tongue was huge. In fact, she was fairly certain that her whole head would fit into his mouth. The waitress was just about to try out this theory Eric came running in. A giggle escaped her lips when she saw his expression at finding her on the ground with her head next to a lion mouth. His surprise was oddly now her own.

"You did something you oughtn't." She pointed an accusing finger at her boyfriend. "Oughtn't?" Even in this state the word sounded word coming from her own lips.

"Sookie, what's wrong?" He was genuinely scared for her, as he should be.

"Oh god!" Her head was going to explode; she was quite sure. Just as she was sure that Godric had showed up, even though her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

"We need to hurry; they might already know we are here." Eric was trying to spur her towards action, and it worked… to a point.

Sookie used the wall behind to slowly push her way into a standing position. When she finally managed to get her eyes to open, a lion was standing in between her and two vampires. The laughter at the odd scene was quickly stifled, perhaps she was getting the hang of this.

"What did you make him do?" She asked Godric, angry with him for perhaps the first time ever. And Godric had _made _him do it. Sookie had never been able to truly understand the imperative that a maker's order held until this moment. Being angry at this Godric was dangerous, and Eric was worried for her again.

"I see the blood bond worked, though I fear it may have confused her with all the blood that has been shared."

"Confused, yes." She agreed with that whole-heartedly, and she could feel it. The connection was strongest between her and Eric, but there was a thread to Godric as well.

Eric took a step towards her, but Sam's answering growl stopped him. "I do not want to harm you before the battle, but if we do not get inside, things will go badly."

That's right, she was wasting valuable time. She pushed past the lion, which was no small feat, and went towards the back entrance. Standing beside it, she waited. "Door." She called to any listening vampire when it remained shut in front of her.

On command, Eric completely kicked in the door with one fluid movement. The bent door shot in like a projectile. If the witches didn't know they were approaching before, they knew their enemy was at the door now. Sam went through first, with Sookie getting a small push in from her boyfriend after the lion. For just a moment, she stood there staring at some very pissed off looking witches.

"Come in my pretties!" Doors on all sides slammed open as vampires opened the way for their four legged… friends? Well, non-enemies anyway. Sookie felt the wind that was Eric and Godric passing by her, but then she had to find a wall. She knew good and well the sudden desire to rip off a head was not her own, but the combined bloodlust of Eric, Godric, and maybe even Pam, was more than she could withstand.

Leaning against the wall, she probably looked more like the first victim of the fight than a combatant, but the fight carried on around her. It was not epic; it was messy and as confused as she was. The witches had been performing some sort of spell when the Vampires and Weres broke in, which probably accounted for why they had maintained the element of surprise even with Sookie's pause for momentary insanity.

Her side outnumbered the witches, and even to Sookie, it was evident this was a losing battle. However, they were not giving up the fight. Surrender was probably not an option for them. Several of the witches had already Wered out to fight, but one of the Two-Natured was still standing tall. Sookie could see his lips moving as he no doubt began to cast a spell. The room was becoming cloudy as if fog was settling indoors, but Pam and Eric were on him before it could fill the room. The telepath looked away before they went in for the kill. Only the dissipating haze let her know when they had finished their work. Sookie was fairly certain that had been Hallow's brother. He was the only male in the group. So much for using him against Hallow.

Unfortunately, Sookie knew that would not deter her vampires. No doubt Hallow would eventually give up the information on the counter-curse. It might just take a little longer. A wolf keened in the room. That large she-wolf was probably Hallow, but Sookie had little time to notice as a lynx of all things approached her.

Sam was currently a lion, and Luna was a cheetah, everyone else was a wolf, that she knew of. Everyone except Debbie Pelt. Sookie wasn't sure what Debbie turned into, but she had gotten the impression that it wasn't a wolf. A lynx would be fitting somehow.

"What's up?" She asked the creature, her words drowned out in the cacophony of the war being waged around them.

Debbie wasn't able to answer, but it made Sookie smile until a set of claws swiped across her legs, the most exposed part of her body from the position she had crumpled into. The irony would have been laughable had it not been so painful. This bitch was going to use the disorder of the battle to cover up killing Sookie. The worst part was that it would probably work. It could just as easily be that she was attacked by a Were while she sat defenseless huddled in a corner. But did Debbie really hate her that much? Or was she just _that_ crazy? If Sookie survived this, maybe she would ask.

The swipe that was aimed for her face caught her outstretched forearm instead. As overloaded as she was, Sookie could not even cry out from the pain as she waited for the next attack.

Only it never came. Instead, she heard a bone-chilling crunching noise. When she finally uncovered her face, the crushed body of Debbie Pelt lay in a disarray before Sookie. It took her more by surprise that it was Debbie's human body than that Debbie was dead. Sookie was oddly alright with that. Maybe it was the blood dripping from her arm and legs that had numbed her against the loss of life.

The roar of fighting had dulled when Sookie finally looked away from Debbie's naked corpse. As far as she could tell, only a single witch/wolf was still standing. Vampires were closing in on her, but Godric beat them to it.

It was one of those moments of perfect clarity, when the world slows down a little to make sure you are catching the events unfolding before you. Sookie knew something was wrong before anyone else, and she finally found her voice. Unfortunately, Godric did not pay attention to her scream of protest as he twisted Hallow's neck with the snap of finality.

The ancient vampire had as good as told her that he did not care about recovering his memory, but she had missed the warning. Now the only person in the entire world who might have been able to get Sookie her Godric back was dead.

The Weres had already begun celebrating as soon as Hallow fell. Godric's memory meant little to them compared to the threat to the pack. However, the entire vampire force just stood looking at the body as it turned back into a woman. Aside from Godric, who appeared quite happy to be covered in the blood of his enemies, they all looked as though they had lost the battle rather than won. Sookie understood the sentiment.

"Take her away." Godric's bloodlust was very different from the violent rage from earlier but scarier still as she was the only bleeding human in the room, Sookie could feel a shadow of it vicariously through Eric.

Eric had her in his arms in seconds, and she gasped at the pain the movement caused. Logically, Sookie knew the vampire blood still in her system was already boosting her body's natural healing; unfortunately, that did not come with any pain killers. The telepath could feel every eye in the room on them, but she buried her head in Eric shoulder rather than face them.

"Debbie?" Alcide's voice broke as he called out after his dead girlfriend. "DEBBIE!" She heard rather than saw him running towards them.

"Please get me out of here." She did not care that Eric flew off, that her car was left abandoned somewhere on a deserted street. Sookie could handle no more for the night. It had been the single longest day of her life, and she had nothing left to give, not even grief for her friend's despair.

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A/N: Did you really think that Godric losing his memory instead of Eric would be the only twist? BAH!

For any who are currently thinking "But you said that the number of times they exchanged didn't matter!" You are right, I said that several time, but I also said the intent_ did _matter. Godric required something a little more concrete than just a normal exchange.

Feel free to yell at me in a review if you feel misled! n_n


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: **DO NOT ABANDON HOPE, I HAVE NOT LEFT YOU ALL HIGH AND DRY. **I am terribly sorry this took so long. First, I was sick, now I am moving. Life is just, well, life!

This chapter should answer some lingering questions. Please keep in mind that despite Godric's appearance in my books, I am attempting to keep things as cannon as possible as far as "mythos".

Warning: Things may get a little sappy… deal with it! Our Poor Sookie deserves a little sappy!

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"It is time to wake up lover." That would have been so nice to hear under different circumstances, but as Sookie laid in her bed at Eric's, she couldn't help but wish she were still asleep.

Despite the vampire blood still bouncing around in her system, her arm and legs throbbed from Debbie's attack. Mentally, she felt as though her brain had been pounded out by her Gran's kitchen mallet. Processing anything was slow going. She lay very still until Eric cleared his throat. Of course, he would know she was faking. When she finally managed to roll over and face him sitting on the edge of her bed, it was not with the happiest of expressions.

"Why is it time to wake up?" Yes, it sounded suspiciously like a pout, but even confused as she was by the previous night's events, Sookie was still fairly certain she fully deserved a good pout.

"The Weres will be here soon. They require your assurances that Debbie attacked you, or I am to be held accountable for her death." Such a wild statement had never sounded so calm.

"So, _you_ killed her." That was one mystery solved, nine hundred ninety-nine to go.

"You can hardly blame me. I have no doubt she intended to kill you." Eric was worried that Sookie would be angry with him. It was a rational thought. A year ago, she probably would have been livid, arguing that he could have stopped her without killing her. Now, she just shrugged it off. Asking a vampire for restraint in the middle of a bloodbath while being attacked by a shifter was just unreasonable. Current Sookie understood the difference between right, wrong and feasible.

"Where's Jason?" She asked, noticing her brother was no longer trapped in her room.

"Godric ordered him home. He will be safe there now." This Godric was awful pushy with the Vampire mind tricks.

"How long until the Weres get here?"

"Not long enough for me to answer your questions." His deflection wasn't even subtle, but it was hard to argue with. "But maybe long enough for you to get dressed."

"How many days?" Judging by the way her mouth felt, she was pretty certain she had been out for quite some time.

"Only one. Colonel Flood gave us that long. They are surprisingly upset by the bitch's death, considering she wasn't Pack." Sookie wasn't sure which way he was using the term, but she saved her energy rather than correct or scold him. Lynx are part of the cat family, and it was wrong to speak ill of the dead, no matter how nasty they had been in life. You just thought things like that and kept it to yourself. Some of the things she had heard at funerals would curl your toes.

Rather than comment at all, she just allowed Eric to help her out of bed and undress her. She was grateful that he managed it gently but without being overly affectionate. In fact, he quickly squashed the lustful feelings that her naked body had drummed up. Sookie knew that as surely as she knew that he was suddenly pissed off.

"Eric?" She asked, confused by the sudden overload of emotional information. He had been staring at the gashes on her bare legs.

"I'm sorry. This is going to take some getting used to." He was clearly not talking about the scars. They wouldn't be her first.

"What will?" He was feeling resigned about something. How could she know that? Had she finally ingested too much vampire blood? His mind was still a void to her, but she definitely knew how he was feeling. It was just different somehow, like she was feeling it herself.

"I promise to tell you, but the Weres are here. You cannot see them like this." He indicated her bare skin, and she vehemently agreed, holding her arms up for the sports bra Eric had in his hands. Stretching did not feel good, and they both cringed at her obvious pain.

The door bell rang as she gingerly pulled on some loose fitting pants. "Chow will get that."

She was surprised to find out someone else was in the house, but then, her usual telepathic range had diminished to about the size of her room. Even the Weres just outside the house were too far for her to reach. Yesterday had seriously overextended her abilities. Still, it made sense that Eric would not meet with the Weres alone. He may have been playing nice, using the excuse of her "testimony" to clear him of fault in Debbie's death, but if the Weres pushed the issue, Sookie doubted Eric would actually allow any punishment they thought appropriate.

"Is Godric here?" The attempt at nonchalance failed.

"He went… out." It had been her guess. She didn't feel as punch drunk as she had the night before when he showed up; however, she did not like the hesitation in Eric's voice or the feeling of apprehension that was not her own. If this was going to continue to happen, he wasn't the only one who was going to have to get used to it.

"Ready?" He startled her out of her thoughts.

People were always asking her that when the answer she desperately wanted to give was no but she had no real other choice. Most boyfriends asked their girls if they were ready when they wanted to go out for dinner or some ice cream but not Sookie. No, her boyfriend was asking if she was prepared to give testimony to some undoubtedly pissed off Weres, one of which was a good friend of hers who had lost his bitch of a girlfriend. (She hadn't said it outloud, so it was okay.)

"Sure!" Eric smiled as if he knew the brightness in her voice did not match the inner monologue.

Walking down the hallway towards the dining room was like walking to the gallows. The Weres might not have been blaming her, but in some ways, she was just as responsible for Debbie's death as Eric. His hands were the ones to crush the life of the lynx, but if Sookie had not been there, Debbie would probably still be alive.

The room held Pam and Chow and a smaller contingent of Weres than the previous night. Of course, Colonel Flood was there with Alcide, another male Were she did not recognize, and, judging by the crutches, splinted leg and slung arm, Adabelle. The group was strong on leadership included interested parties, but managed to seem non-threatening. Colonel Flood was very good at his job.

Sookie took all this in as she realized another very important fact. Her shields were completely gone. Being in a house full of vampires, she could hardly have been expected to notice before, but it was quite clear now. The Were she did not know still seemed to be riding the high from the fight, Adabelle resented having to ask the vampires for help to beat the witches that had attacked her, Colonel Flood was his own complicated mixture of gratitude and disgust, and Alcide could barely keep his rage at Eric in check. White knuckles kept clenching and unclenching while he pictured Debbie's dead body.

Whether it was the image of Debbie pressing in on her now that she was no longer surrounded by battle or simply the jumble of emotions that overwhelmed her, Sookie found herself mid-heave even as Eric planted some ornamental pot underneath her. Luckily, it was a big pot as she sunk to her knees over it, Eric holding back her hair and putting one cool hand to the back of her neck. The contact with him helped more than anything else.

Everyone in the room was looking anywhere but at her when she finally shakily got back to her feet. One of the vampires removed the container while Eric helped her to her seat. Sookie did not get sick very often, and now she remembered why she was so thankful for her usually strong stomach.

"Sorry…" Her throat felt raw and her hoarse voice reflected it. Adabelle was embarrassed for woman kind. Sookie could already tell they wouldn't be bonding over being girls in a man's world anytime soon, but at least, Colonel Flood and the other Were had softened a little. Alcide was too torn between his anger and his concern to know what to do. It took a stern look from his Packmaster to finally get him to sit down once everyone had followed Eric's lead.

"It's quite alright. The events of this week have taken their toll on all of us in one way or another." She would have laughed at the depth of that understatement, but she didn't want anything besides a giggle bubbling up.

Eric gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and she spared him a grateful smile. Contact with him was the only thing that made staying in the room bearable. "Between using my abilities and my injuries, I overstretched myself... It's difficult to be around people."

He gave a glance to her hand in Eric's with an accompanying nod. Apparently, being Packmaster called for much more than just strength and discipline. Colonel Flood was picking up on much more than his compatriots. "We'll make this quick. The Shifter, Sam Merlotte has already corroborated Mr. Northman's story, but as a Friend of the Pack, your word is what matters." The tension over this decision was clearly evidenced by Alcide's growl. She tried not to be hurt by the side he had obviously chosen, but it wasn't working too well. "Mr. Northman claims your life was being threatened."

"Debbie attacked me." Sookie looked to Alcide when she spoke, but he would not meet her eyes.

"With the intent to kill?" Fights among the Two-Natured must have not been uncommon because this was a real sticking point for the Colonel. He was focusing very decidedly on the point of contention, as if he wanted her to know. If they were just having a cat fight, then use of lethal force was a punishable offense. Maybe the Packmaster knew how pointless, and possibly detrimental, trying to "bring charges" against Eric would be. Or maybe she was reading into things too much without her usual buffer from thoughts.

"I know better than most that she meant to kill me." Colonel Flood nodded, and Alcide vaulted up from his chair. If Chow or Pam were suddenly a little closer to him than before, no one said anything about it.

"You've said yourself that you don't always get clear information from us." It was oddly comforting that he was trying to have it both ways. If nothing else, it meant he wasn't trying to call her an outright liar. "You don't know exactly what we are thinking, like with humans."

Eric was pulling the arm down on her long sleeve shirt before she could protest. Claws don't cut nice and neat like a blade might. There was a jagged scar down her entire forearm, still concave from where it had healed together. Anyone who was familiar with injuries would know it had been deep.

"Her legs are worse. Under different circumstances, she would have bled to death even if Debbie had not been going in for the finishing strike." He made her name sound worse than any curse word he could have conjured.

Eric's words may have fallen on deaf ears, but everyone was staring at her scars. Even Alcide collapsed back into his seat as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He had not truly believed that Debbie would do something like that; he had convinced himself that something had happened in the middle of battle that Sookie, Sam, and Eric had all misunderstood.

Really, it was a good thing that all the Weres were acting as though Eric was not even present because she did not want any of them to linger too long on those "different circumstances." She took it in stride with dating a vampire. Most of her life consisted of taking things in stride with the Supernatural world, but these particular Supes would not look fondly on the reminder that she had vampire blood swimming around her system, even if it did save her life.

"My ability was heightened. Trust me, she had every intention of killing me." She willed Alcide to believe her, but he looked as if he were about to voice some new protestation.

Everyone was surprised when Colonel Flood rose angrily from the table. "You pledged blood for her! Do you question that now?!" His voice boomed across the room, and Alcide's face crumbled. She still remembered Alcide vouching for her the first she had met the Packmaster. At the time, it had been clear that those words were important, but she did not realize that they applied forever.

"Of course not." The human telepath in the room was probably the only one who had to struggle to decipher his quiet mumble.

"Then accept the truth and move on. Debbie Pelt attacked a Friend of the Pack; her attack on this one was an attack on Us. She is dead, so no further action needs to be taken. This matter is settled." Alcide sunk more and more into his seat with each word that Flood directed towards him like a scolded pup, but Sookie knew the set of his jaw line. The Pack might have been done with this, but Alcide was not. Never had a man been so blind as Alcide was to Debbie. She would rule him even from the grave.

"We will take our leave." The other Weres rose to join the Colonel, Alcide only a step behind. Flood was looking around at the vampires in the room before his eyes finally came to rest on Sookie. "The witches were gathering more to their number. You brought us together when apart we may have run into trouble. We lost no one last night because of that. I truly hope that things will return to normal for you here soon."

"Thank you, Colonel." She tried to make her nod as respectful as possible because there was no way she was standing up for them. Emotions were running high again, and Alcide's mind was racing a mile a minute. It was a good thing Eric was a vampire because she knew her grip on his arm was tighter than would be comfortable for any human. Chow escorted the Two-Natured out while Eric stared at her.

She laid her head on the table once they had passed out of her awareness. The coolness of the wood beneath her helped to chase away any last bits of nausea. Her head was lifted gently from the table and transferred from one cold surface to another. Eric had a habit of picking her up without warning, not that she minded in this instance. Her legs were killing her, and she wasn't completely convinced that she could make it anywhere on her own.

"He still blames you." She informed him softly.

"I know. Let's get you back to bed."

Several crude remarks came bounding to her head, but she reserved those for a time when she would actually feel like making good on them. "Don't think this is getting you out of explaining."

"You are much too stubborn a woman to let me go so easily." She could hear the smile, even if she couldn't see it with her head tucked to his chest.

"Don't you forget." She waited until her bedroom door closed behind them. "Godric isn't back to his old self, is he?"

"If you're asking if he got his memory back, then no." It was the first time they had really had time together since Godric had been cursed, and Sookie nuzzled in closer when he laid down behind her. "We hoped that the death of Hallow would end the curse, and maybe it will eventually, but nothing has changed so far."

She just nodded, letting a few tears roll down her cheek. Yesterday, she had been so sure it would all be over by now. Could another witch undo this? Did they know any other witches? The vampires and Weres had both given the impression that witches were not so close with the other sides of the Supernatural world, especially the _unnatural_ vampires. Even if they did find a witch, would he/she be willing to help out?

They both lay in silence for a little while longer. Things were about to change between them somehow, and it seemed as if neither of them were in a hurry for that to happen. However, Eric was right. Sookie was much too stubborn to let things go. She nudged him before she fell back asleep. Maybe that was really why he was being so quiet.

"It can wait for tomorrow."

"But I can't." She tried to be firm on that.

"I was not even sure it would work. I have never bonded before, and it is very uncommon."

"Bonded?" He said it as if she should recognize the meaning.

"It is rare, but when a vampire wants to keep a human, well, human, but have greater influence over them without the use of glamour, they bond with them." Sookie got the feeling that he was downplaying things quite as bit as he searched for the proper words.

"We've already shared blood. You could track me before this." It felt strange having this conversation with the wall, but it made it easier somehow as well. As if she didn't really have to face it yet.

"I think we both know this is different. Before, I knew if you were in danger only when you were frightened enough to acknowledge it. Now, I can feel everything, but there is a reason it isn't done very often."

"Because the human call feel it too?" She felt him nod into her back, even though she did not actually need the confirmation. "So why now?"

"Godric wanted a stronger tie to you. Originally, he had wanted to bind you himself, but I convinced him that I was a better option. Most vampires do not enjoy the duality of a bound human." It was weird to feel his chagrin at the statement. He wasn't quite a bug in a rug over it himself.

"What else is there? Besides the emotion thing." She braced for whatever terrible thing he was about to say.

"It is hard to tell with you. So many things don't work as they should, the glamour, my call."

"Your what?"

"Humans who have had our blood are drawn to listen to us even without glamour. You have shown an extraordinary resistance to that." He almost made it sound like some big joke, but she was not amused.

Over the last months, Sookie may have defied Eric, but there were plenty of times when she had done things she never thought possible or excused things that he had done. He seemed more human to her now in spite of the things she had learned to the contrary. It was a disturbing realization on several levels.

"Sookie?" Could he really feel her concern? She could feel his.

"What else?"

"It depends on the human... and the vampire. Some humans become completely enthralled. The fact that you are angry with me right now would suggest that is not the case." His plays at humor were not working well for her in this instance. "I may be able to influence your feelings."

"You'd better not try to make me happy about this because it's **not** going to work." Her interjection barely halted his explanation.

"However, with your abilities, I suppose it is possible the reverse will be there. I don't know that anyone like you has ever been bound before."

"Yippee." It was hard to imagine anything or anyone besides Godric influencing Eric.

"My maker's other plan was to turn you and hope for the best. I thought you would prefer this."

"Does this mean… if something happens to me, will I become a vampire?" Ever since she had heard her first vampire thought after drinking Eric's blood, it had been her biggest concern. That she was somehow becoming more vampiric with every sip.

"No, you will not become a vampire." Sookie had expected him to say no; she had also expected not to completely believe him, but his absolute assurance was unmistakable through the bond and a little unnerving.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"There wasn't time to properly explain, and once I started, you would not have let it go until you understood… if then. I love that stubborn streak of yours, but sometimes it is necessary for me to bypass it."

He was right, of course, but she was not about to admit it outloud. "It might have helped last night if I hadn't walked in blind, you know."

"That was incredibly unexpected. In fact, I have never seen a reaction quite like it. I wish I could tell you exactly what happened, but it would all be guesses. Even Godric was taken aback. He may be right in that it has something to do with your ability amplifying the bound."

"I'm one lucky girl." Sarcasm was not her strong suit, but her voice dripped with it all the same.

"You are lucky. If we hadn't been bonded, I don't know that I would have realized Debbie was attacking you."

"Ever heard of a Catch-22? Because I'm pretty sure my whole life is one."

"No need to be melodramatic."

"Need? Probably not. Desire? There's tons of that."

"I hope this isn't what I have to look forward to. You will make me one of those brooding vampires in novels in short order."

"How long before it wears off?" When they shared blood before, the effects always wore away after awhile, though usually there was some reason for her to need more before too long.

He did not answer her, and when she tried to roll over to face him, his grip tightened around her just enough to keep her still. Normally, she would have struggled, but she was aching enough without adding to it.

"_Eric._"

"I don't know that it will, love."

Sookie hated that he must know how much that frightened her. Even bothering to acknowledge his words seemed useless. It must not have been the reaction he was expecting because he pulled away from her, but only long enough to turn her over to face him. "It is really so bad?"

He was genuinely hurt, which only made her feel worse. She wanted to shout no with all her might and erase that look on his face that was breaking her heart, but he would know it for the lie it was.

"Eric, you know that I was a virgin before you, but did you ever stop to think about why?" Eric was not huge on talking about her past, especially where men were concerned. His protective nature would probably make the world a not so safe place for some of the men before Eric.

She waited for something, but he was just staring at her, apparently not in the mood for guessing games.

"Every time I got close to another human being, every time I let myself go, I could hear everything. What they wanted, how my kissing rated against their last girlfriend, everything… It was enough to drive you crazy! Then you come along, with all your danger and your complications and your blissful silence. You don't know incredible that was for me. You could find me absolutely disgusting, and I would never know. Then you swindled your way into my heart, and I was free to enjoy every part of our relationship…"

"But now you think that will change."

"I won't know if you'd rather I use less tongue, but I'll know if you are bored with me or... when you stop loving me."

"For the record, I love that wicked tongue of yours. And I very seriously doubt you will **ever** be boring. It is one of your many endearing qualities… like that tongue." How wrong was it that even during this serious conversation that twinkle in his eyes could make heat race down to her very core? Sookie didn't know if she should be grateful that he was no longer hurt or be upset that he was not taking this seriously. "But remember this is now a two-way street, as they say. Just like any relationship, either one of us could waver, and I will know if your heart has moved on as well."

It was an excellent point. Always before, she had been alone in her knowledge. After all, hadn't she wished a guy had brought along a mint and thanked her lucky stars he could not hear her thoughts. Sure, their relationship had changed, but it had at least stayed equal. Or as equal as it had ever been. No way was her heart going to move on from this handsome, intelligent, confident, well-endowed hunk of a vampire. Not when she knew now more than ever that he really did feel the same way about her. It was funny, but with this new information that she was receiving from him she realized something. Love wasn't a single emotion, like anger or sadness. It was just a jumble of different feelings that all added up to love.

"I'm still mad at you for not telling me before you did it." She couldn't look at him because her simmering anger would have been completely squelched by his smile.

"That's fine, but be angry in your sleep. There will be quite enough to deal with over the coming days, and we need you on your toes."

Her body was exhausted, but her mind was going full tilt after their conversation. "I'm really not even that tir-" Her words were interrupted by an unexpected yawn.

"Tired? Really?"

"Humans yawn all the time, it wasn't a big-" Another yawn cut her sentence short.

"Sleep, my little telepath."

It was the strangest thing. After everything she had been through, of course she was spent, but Sookie would have put money on the fact that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep with all the thoughts bouncing around in her head. Usually, she could lie awake in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling lost in ever-changing trains of thought. Now with Eric stroking her hair, her eyelids refused to stay open. She drifted off with Eric still whispering in her ear.

* * *

A/N: For no real action, I like this chapter. Hope you all do too!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Disclaimer: Recognizable characters, plots, and places belong to Harris or Ball and are not used for any gain of profit. Unless you count my self confidence…

* * *

"Eric!" Sookie bolted upright in bed and was immediately sorry as her brain attempted to catch up with her body. At least, she felt much better than she had the night before, but she still sat for a moment, fuming at her boyfriend. This brought manipulation to a whole new level. When she finally turned to get out of bed, a note was resting on her nightstand.

_Just remember, I would not have been able to influence you if you had not let me. –E_

The telepath wasn't sure whether she should continue to be mad at him, or just feel betrayed by her own body. After all, he had been trying to help her, and it wasn't the first time that her body had betrayed her where Eric was concerned. Rather than waste time and energy on it, she decided to move on with her day. Her teeth were in serious need of a good brushing, and considering she had not eaten in a day and a half (and had lost most of what was left to a vase), she was pretty hungry. It was nice that her home away from home was so well stocked because she was quickly able to remedy both situations.

It was already late afternoon, which meant she could hang out at Eric's house for a few more hours and see him when he rose or head on home to check on things there. As wonderful as lounging around in her bed sounded, Sookie knew she had responsibilities waiting for her. No doubt with their new attachment, it would be easy enough for Eric to find her if he needed to, and there was plenty of things in Bon Temps that needed her attention in the meantime, like her brother.

Her car was still outside, so someone else must have taken Jason home. She silently hoped that it hadn't been Pam. The woman's interest in him was a little too predatory for Sookie's liking. Jason very rarely said no to a woman and never to one that looked like Pam, so he was first on her list. Family should always come first, and he _was_ all she had left.

On her way down, she called in to Jason's home office to see which work site he was supposed to be at. Even in their small town, he would travel between the different crews during the day to check progress or whatever it was he actually did. The receptionist at the front desk put her through to Catfish when she asked about Jason, causing a little concern in the poor waitress.

"Hey Sookie." Catfish sounded more amused than worried; Sookie tried not to over react.

"Hey Catfish, Tammy didn't seem to know where Jason's at today."

"Sookie? Don't you even know when your own brother is sick? Said he went to see someone in Shreveport about it and everything." Apparently, the Crystal excuse had gone out the window, but that meant that Jason had missed another day of work.

"Yeah, of course. He'd just said something about maybe trying to come in this morning anyway. That's why I wanted to check in on him. Guess he thought better of it." Lying had become way too easy, but it was safer than telling him the real reason behind Jason's disappearance.

"Boy's never taken a sick day before; he's got a few coming to him. Take him some soup or something." Soup was the universal get better food, no matter the ailment or time of year.

"Sure thing. Thanks, Catfish."

"No problem." She could hear him chuckling about siblings that don't speak as he hung up the phone.

Taking the next turn, she headed towards Jason's house instead of town. Sure enough, his truck was still parked outside. Rather than just let herself in, she knocked on the door. If he really had gotten sick somehow, surely someone would have told her. Sookie was about to knock again when Jason opened the door, looking very groggy for the late hour of the day.

"Hey Sook. Come on in."

She was about to dive into questions, but she stopped herself. Her shields had improved, but they weren't 100% again yet and something was off with Jason's head.

"Hey, you alright? Catfish seems to think you went to the doctor."

"Well, it sounded a lot better than I went out drinking with a vampire and had to sleep one off."

"Who took you out drinking?!" It seemed like a wildly inappropriate time to be throwing a few back with her brother, and she had visions of Pam's wicked smile.

"Godric took me out after me and Crystal broke things off yesterday. Don't you remember?" Now he was looking at her as if she were the weird one.

"_Godric_ took you drinking?"

"Yeah, well, he didn't drink actually. I guess he pretty much just played the DD." Jason plopped down on the couch and covered his eyes with an arm to block out the light she turned on. "It's all pretty fuzzy."

"I bet it is." Sookie told her thoroughly glamoured brother. "Do you even remember breaking up with Crystal?"

"Not really. I know I was feeling really trapped," considering he had been kidnapped, that made sense, "but you don't have to pretend you're sad about it. Godric told me you didn't like her."

"Did he?"

"Yeah, he said she wasn't right for me, and I think he's right. There was just something off about her."

"Alright, well, I covered for you, but try not to make a habit of this."

"No way, sis. Drinking's never hit me this hard before. I swear it's like I'm missing some time somewhere."

"Yeah, well, try not to focus on it too hard. If you figure it all out, you might be sorry to remember."

"Good point." He laughed at the possibilities of what he might have done.

"I'm gonna head home and do some cleaning." She didn't manage to keep the chagrin from her voice as she had hoped.

"Everything okay?"

"You just worry about how Hoyt's gonna feel when he finds out you went out drinking without him."

"Shit! I need to call him." Diversion usually worked well on her brother, and she was rewarded when he got up, hugged her and then went off searching for his phone.

She locked the door behind her as she left. So Godric had glamoured her brother to remember a very different version of the past two days. Sookie didn't know whether to be grateful or pissed. He obviously didn't remember anything about the Two-Natured which meant he wasn't in danger of spilling their secret and the resulting consequences, but had that been his call to make?!

* * *

Luna was waiting on back stoop when Sookie finally got home.

"You been out here long?" The telepath called, worried her friend had been standing out in the cold.

"Nah, I came over to help clean up a bit and heard the car pulling up. I just wanted to make sure it was you."

"Praise the Lord, it's just me." Sookie walked through the door Luna was holding open to a sparkling kitchen. "Oh Luna!"

"Wish I could take credit here, but it was like this when I showed up earlier."

Sookie could have cried. In fact, a few tears may have slipped out, but neither of the girls commented. A small hope had kindled inside of her earlier that Eric would swoop in like usual on this one. She hadn't even been sure he knew her house was ransacked, so she had quashed that hope rather than be disappointed when her house was still a wreck. He was under no obligation to have her house cleaned, after all.

As they walked through the rooms, she noticed a few pieces had been replaced with similar items, and overall, the house probably looked better than it had before it was turned upside down. Some things were out of place, but it would take her no time at all to put it back to rights now.

"He's not all bad." It was the closest thing to a compliment Luna had ever said in regards to Eric, and Sookie wrapped her in a hug, despite the girl's discomfort.

"He's really, really not!" Sookie made up for her friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"There was a note on the door when I came in." Sookie felt herself get excited, like a schoolgirl getting a note in class, when Luna handed it over.

_In case you are still mad… -E_

She couldn't help but laugh at that. The last bit of resentment that had been harbored over his influencing her melted away.

"Why would you still be mad?"

"Oh, probably any number of reasons." She wasn't sure telling Luna she was bound to Eric was such a great idea when her friend had just admitted he had some good to him.

"Yeah, probably." Luna suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Look, I also came over because I wanted us to talk."

Luna's plan was pretty evident. "Oh, yeah, you don't have to explain. I think It's for the best."

"Wait, how did you know?" It only sounded a little like an accusation.

"I'm having some trouble with control since the other night, and besides, you left a bag by the back door." Sookie put on her best non-crazy smile. She may have wanted things back to normal by now, but they weren't. And she was going to have to live with it.

"It's not like I'm moving in with Sam. If Godric gets..." Luna backtracked when Sookie's smile faltered. "I mean once Godric is back to normal, I will totally come back. Living here with you, I would have to see him. I actually liked him before, now he just scares me. I don't want to spend every night wondering if he's gonna show up. I know it sounds selfish, and if I could find a way to get you out of here, I would. Then again, you probably wouldn't let me." Sookie's half smile was answer enough on that subject.

"Like I said, it's for the best." Sookie brave face was back firmly in place. Eric would figure things out, and she would get Godric and Luna back. "I'll still see you at Merlotte's."

"And during the day. I mean, we can still hang out."

This was beginning to feel like one of those awkward break-ups when the guy tells you he still wants to be friends. Or at least, she imagined that is what it felt like. Most of her break-ups had ended with "Get away from me, freak" or an unflattering variation of it.

"Of course!" They had moved into the kitchen towards her bag. Sookie didn't need to read minds to know Luna wanted to get out before the sun went down. "Maybe I'll stop by tomorrow. I could use some time around humans, see how my shields are doing."

"Well don't look at me, but there are bound to be some regular people there." Luna nudged her friend in a playful manner.

"Bon Temps isn't completely made up of Supes…" Her comment carried on the joke.

"Yet." For some reason, that wasn't as funny as Luna had probably intended. Their laughter quickly died away.

"Have fun at your sleep over." Sookie tried to revive the teasing nature of earlier, helping her toss a pillow in the back seat.

Luna loaded up into the front seat of her small sedan and stuck her head out the window. "Just be safe, okay?"

"You know me."

"Yeah, that's what's got me worried." Why did people always say that to her? It wasn't as if she went looking for trouble.

Sookie stood outside and waved until the car disappeared around the house. Nightfall would be coming soon. She wasn't scared,_really_, but she was nervous. It seemed unlikely Godric would change his mind now about her becoming a vampire, but she was fairly certain something would happen once the sun was down. It was really a question of which and how many visitors she would have.

* * *

Darkness had fully settled without a single visitor. Eric had at least called to receive her profuse thanks and to let her know he would be not be coming over. Fangtasia had been neglected for a couple days, and he really needed to catch up on work. He had sounded dejected, but then she wasn't exactly chipper over everything with Godric. Hopefully, he could get the bar back on track so he could focus on getting Godric's memory back. After all, she didn't even know where to start.

All the witches she knew were dead.

The inevitable knock on her front door was cordial enough, but no callers would come this late unless they weren't able to come during the day for fear of incineration. It was no surprise to find Godric when she finally opened the door.

"Will you invite me in? After all, it is hardly fair to leave me in the cold when I pay you rent." For just a moment, she thought he had actually remembered, but the gleam in his eye was not the happy one of her Godric, and it only brightened when her face fell. It was odd, that same look made Eric seem dangerous but playful when on Godric's face made him seem cold. Still, he was right; there was no real use to denying him entry any longer.

"Come on in." She moved out of her way and shut the door behind him when he wandered through her hallway. She was now alone, in her house with the vampire who had tried to kill her not a week earlier. "Now that I've invited you in, could Eric come in as well without an invitation?"

"Of course. Why?" Sookie jumped when Godric's voice came right from behind her. When she turned to face him, he was uncomfortably close and kept stepping closer until she was up against a wall. "Afraid I might do something?" He was obviously enjoying himself.

"Yes, actually." She was pissed off and scared all at the same time, but a little more mad than frightened. His amusement over her fear stirred that part of her that refused to be cowed, so she locked eyes with him and refused to look away.

Her phone rang, and she looked to the living room where she had left it on the coffee table. Godric brought her attention back to him by smacking his palm loudly against the wall behind her. The sound made her jump again.

"My son, no doubt. I am glad to see the bond is working so well." It must have been the reaction he was hoping for because he stepped back enough to let her push past him. If it had been a power play, it had worked.

"Hello sweetie." Sookie answered the phone.

"Sookie?" 'Sweetie' was definitely not one of their usual pet names.

"Everything's fine here. Your father just came over for a quick visit. You know how that can be." Godric was sitting on her couch as though he owned the place. True, he had been paying rent, but she had only agreed to a nominal amount so he wouldn't feel bad. That and he had covered the expense of adding in the hidey-hole.

"It is still Godric." She softened momentarily at the reminder, but Eric's maker was giving her that smile she loathed more than any expression in the world.

"If you say so." This time, she hung up first. Eric could not give her comfort while this Godric could hear what he said, and she did not feel like dancing around the subject anymore.

The familiar looking stranger had sat right in the middle of the couch, leaving her space on either side of him. Why was it that so many things that would have been coy when coming from Eric seemed so malicious from Godric? Eric had gone from seeming so much the vampire to more human, but Godric who had hardly ever made her remember that he was a vampire, now seemed nothing but. She opted for one of the less comfortable chairs across from him. His smile said he had somehow won again.

"How long are you planning to stay? Should I warm up a TruBlood?"

"I do not drink these synthetic products, but do not worry, I feed before I came to avoid… temptation."

Her hand returned instinctively to the angry red scars on her neck that were still healing. It was a good thing her closet at Eric's had been well-stocked with turtlenecks. "You're drinking… from humans?"

"I am a vampire. This Godric you are so fond of seems to have forgotten that point."

"Don't think you understand anything about Godric."

"I do not nor, but he was my future self. I would like to try to understand some things, if only to avoid reliving my past. That is why I will be staying with you."

"What?! No." Sookie was standing already and very seriously considering revoking Godric's invitation.

"Please do not make this harder than it needs to be. Your defiance has cost you before, and I believe we can both agree that while you may be obstinate, I am willing to go to much greater lengths to get what I want than you are."

Sookie wondered if this is what being a deflated tire felt like as she plopped back into her seat. She could still see Alrene's panicked face. Godric had proven he was not above involving others to get his way, next time her friend might not get away unscathed.

"Good, I am glad you understand." He had taken her silence as assent, which wasn't entirely wrong.

"I _don't_ understand. Why would you want to stay here of all places? Eric has known you for centuries; you could learn a lot more from him." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him with angry resignation.

"He has filled in some of the blanks already, but what I find most intriguing is my decision to live with a human who does not belong to me. Living with you may shed some light on that. Also, my presence in Shreveport has caused something of a stir. Those in Eric's retinue seem very unsure of how to treat me since the unfortunate incident. I would prefer that my presence not inhibit Eric's standing. The money his ventures make improve his status with the Queen."

"You think losing your memory was unfortunate?" That, at least, was a good sign.

"My apologies for the confusion," his face did not show any actual penitence, "I was referring to breaking the arm of Eric's barman."

Sookie never would have thought she would be feeling sorry for Chow, but she certainly did now. Then again, by now his pride was probably hurt more than he was.

"They are having trouble remembering my place, partly due to my former. I wanted to make it clear they should not think of me as the 'old' Godric." He apparently thought this explained away his action. "You will not make that mistake, will you, Sookie?"

"No, that won't be a problem for me at all." Besides the fact that they looked exactly the same, Sookie was beginning to think that her Godric had been sent to some alternate reality and replaced with some long forgotten evil twin. The two personalities held nothing in common that she could see, past affection for Eric.

"I did not think so. This is why the arrangement is ideal."

"If I let you stay here, you have to promise not to go around glamouring my friends and family."

"I have lost a few centuries worth of my memories, but I do know that in order to make demands, you need something with which to barter. The only thing which you can offer me," he looked longingly at her neck once more, "I doubt you are willing to offer."

"You can't just go around taking people's memory. It isn't right." Sookie felt no need to respond to the other comment. Like he said, she wasn't offering.

"This sense of personal freedom to which humans seem to cling so dearly is a relatively new concept to which I do not ascribe. Power decides right and wrong. Your new governments may have made it more appetizing for the masses, but the fact remains. Besides, you may disagree with my actions, but even you must admit that it is better your brother does not remember the things he has learned."

"And what happens when he turns into a Were next full moon without even remembering that they exist?!" She had been holding on to that one because, really, it was the only downside she **had** thought of to Jason not remembering his run-in with the Two-Natured.

"As I understand, he was only really bitten once or twice. It is doubtful he will turn from that, or we would have bitten-Werewolves wandering around everywhere." He held up his hand for her to hold her tongue when she opened her mouth to rebut. "_However,_the memory I gave him included a trigger. Should he turn, he will remember everything. At that point, he will be tied to the community, reducing the chances of him becoming a liability."

"You can do that?" Eric didn't talk much about his vampy powers, especially since that particular one didn't work on her… usually.

"I have been doing this for quite some time and am very good at it. You are the first individual I have met that was immune to my powers." He was thinking hard on the matter as he studied her. "It must be the fairy blood. I have never attempted to glamour one, that I remember, but I suppose like Weres, it is not possible. What a shame. You would like me much better if I could."

"If you could glamour me, I would be dead." Her hackles had been raised once again. This Godric-look-alike was very good at getting under her skin.

"Too true." His admission did not bring her any satisfaction.

"Look, I'm going to bed. Your room is in the closet of the spare bedroom. I bet you can find it. Hopefully, tomorrow night you'll wake up on the right side of the bed, and I can get the real Godric back."

Despite Sookie's instincts screaming for her not to turn her back on this predator again, she got up to leave the room. She was not about to do some ridiculous backwards walk out of the room to keep him in her sights. It would only feed his scary little ego.

"Unlikely." It was quietly said, but definitely loud enough that she was meant to hear it. She stopped in her tracks but did not turn to face him. Either he would tell her what he meant or he wouldn't. She was not about to ask anything else from him.

"After the incident with the witches, I realized that Eric would like for me to regain my memories as much as you obviously would. As we have already established that I have no desire to return to that state, I had to take action. I was very specific. Eric will not be looking for any ways to restore my memory nor is he allowed to order any of his retinue or even hint at it. If anyone under him does it of their own volition, the punishment will be… lasting."

And Eric had to obey. She was surer of that now than she ever had been before the bond. She was all alone in this now.

"Goodnight Godric. I don't want you anywhere near my room, or I promise you I'll find someway to make your existence very difficult."

"Need we go over this once more." His exasperated sigh told her that her threat was not hitting home.

"Don't forget, I know where you sleep too." Sookie almost did not recognize her own voice as the cold words spilled from them.

"I believe this is going to be fun." She was already walking from the room when the words reached her, and she did not pause for a moment before going into her room and locking the door behind her.

* * *

A/N: BUM, BUM, BUM! The plot thickens and things aren't looking too good for poor old Sook!


	12. Chapter 12

Little short, but I needed to get something out this week. Hopefully, the content will make up for it a little.

* * *

Sookie proved herself a liar. The day had started late for her, so it was practically lunchtime by the time she was finally up and about. But really, she just wasn't quite ready to go back to Merlotte's and act like everything was normal. She called Luna to apologize and used unfinished errands as an excuse to duck out of lunch at the bar. That part, at least, was true. She really _did_ need to run some errands. Between New Year's and then everything after, her pantry and fridge had been neglected. While they were now both sparkling clean thanks to the team Eric must have hired to put her house back together, they were still empty.

She was trying to finish up at her last stop before nightfall. It had been overcast all day, so there was really no telling when her house guest might be making an appearance.

"This one is nice, very delicate. It comes in a matching set."

"I was hoping for something a little more substantial."

The saleswoman was looking at Sookie a little funny. "Ma'am, you don't really strike me as the type of girl who likes a lot of fuss with her jewelry." That was pretty straightforward for someone who could probably make a good sale, even if it was spot on. "I hate for you to regret buying some you never will wear."

"Normally, that'd be true, but I am trying something different these days. Pretty sure they'll get used."

"Well, I have some beautiful gold pieces over here that would look great with your complexion."

"I'm really more into silver…"

Half an hour later, Sookie left the store with a new necklace, earrings, two cuff bracelets and even a ring. Did it look like overkill for her sweater and blue jeans? Sure. Did she have the world's biggest smile on her face? Hell, yeah.

* * *

She knew Godric was still in her house. The void did not go away while they slept for the day, so it was easy to tell. Dinner had been quite the endeavor, especially for only one person eating it, but she had been preparing herself for the evening with a good home-cooked meal. Not that she had any real _plans _beyond her knew anti-vamp accessories, Sookie just didn't want Godric to get to her again. Her threat had been a bad idea. If only he hadn't caught her off-guard by ordering Eric not to try and return his memory, she never would have said it.

Deep down in her heart, Sookie knew that she would never be able to do anything permanent to the vampire living in her house. Not when there was even a chance that he might return to his old self. It looked bleak, but that chance still existed. Maybe Sam or Alcide would know something. Then again, it might be better to try Colonel Flood instead. Alcide probably wouldn't want to be helping her anytime soon. Why couldn't things ever just stay normal between them?

She was so lost in thoughts and dirty dishes, that she did not notice the void until it was right behind her. Godric wouldn't be backing her into any corners tonight.

"Eric, don't!" But she had felt the connection too late, and the sound of sizzling flesh filled the air when he went to move her hair.

A string of Germanic curse words filled the air while her boyfriend backed away from her, holding his wounded hand to his chest.

"Eric, I'm so sorry!" She tried to reach for him again, but he back away more at the sight of the large cuffs on her wrists. "I didn't know it was you. I wasn't paying attention, and it hasn't been dark that long." She was pleading for him to understand while he examined the scorched flesh.

"I know. I had wanted to surprise you. Godric has gone out." They both knew why, and she was glad he didn't feel the need to say it. "I thought we could spend some time together."

That only made her feel worse. "Just give me a second." With a bit of reluctance, she went back to her bedroom and chucked the jewelry into its box. Hopefully, Godric would not pull anything with his son there. Otherwise, she had just spent a pretty chunk of change for nothing.

"Better." His arms were around her before she even turned. "Earrings?"

"Shit!" She reached up to take them out, careful not to get them near him.

"Much better." This time he spoke into her neck, eliciting a quiet moan from her. They had not really been together in a while. "You are prickly enough without silver."

"Just cause I took them off for you, doesn't mean I won't be wearing them. I wouldn't go sneaking up on me again."

"I should not have been able to_ this time_, lover." He was right, of course, but she was much more distracted by his lips moving against her ear while he spoke.

Physical desire was reading loud and clear through the bond, and she wasn't sure how much of that was his and how much was her own, but she did know that her body had unconsciously gotten her as close to him as humanly possible with clothes still on.

"I've got a lot on my mind." Her voice was shaking as she attempted to hold on to that last bit of self-control.

"Me too." The lust rolling from Eric through her had Sookie a little unsure if she was standing or if he was just holding her up.

"Promise we'll talk afterwards?"

Her shirt was already on the floor. "Promise."

She had never enjoyed being trapped against a wall quite so much. Eric's hands had a good grip on her ass, so she hiked up her legs, wrapping them tightly around his waist. He did not need her help to keep her in the air, but she didn't want so much as an inch of separation. She did manage to push him back just far enough to take off his shirt. Her hands explored the muscled contours of his back. Luckily, his pants were just loose enough that she could slip her hands down to do a little ass-grabbing of her own, which was easy when he wasn't wearing boxers _or_ briefs. It wasn't until her hands moved back around front to explore that his fangs finally popped out.

With a low growl, he slammed her down onto the bed. Her hands were still beneath his belt buckle, so he was right on top of her. Their kisses were needy, and Sookie could tell that Eric was brushing the edge of his control as he roughly moved her up the bed until they were both up at the headboard. Rough was just fine with her; the mood sort of called for it. If she had bruises in the morning, it would still totally be worth it.

Eric had been there as much as was possible for her through this ordeal, but they had both missed this. Their relationship was anything but purely physical, but it _had_ started off with one great night of sex. Sookie needed to know that this would still work, that with everything that had changed, they were still great together in every aspect. Any lingering fears quickly flew away along with their remaining clothing items. Nothing that came through the bond gave Sookie anything more than delightful goosebumps, and she and Eric were as in sync as ever.

In fact, if Eric's hands had been as adept as Michelangelo before… he was like a god now. Really, it wasn't his hands; it was his timing. Maybe his being so tuned into her feelings wouldn't be such a bad thing. He knew exactly when she was on the verge every time, and if he was using any sort of influence, Sookie definitely wasn't complaining… the first _or_ second time. And that was just the foreplay.

When he finally moved her into position underneath him, Sookie decided to try a trick of her own. After all, if this bond was supposed to work so differently on her, it was worth a try. She tried to focus on her feelings. Not a thought really, just the raw desire that was coursing through her entire body. It really wasn't that hard. It felt like a physical ache that he had only teased almost to her breaking point.

Sookie was rewarded when Eric's eyes widened. Apparently, her message had gotten through loud and clear. She was pretty sure her whole room would catch on fire from the heat in his eyes as he slowly slid into her, never breaking eye contact. He moved so deliberately, she thought she might be the first person in the universe to enjoy going insane from sheer anticipation. By the time the entire bed was moving, she had lost all ability to hold on to any conscious thought, but she did feel something. At any other time, she would have probably talked herself into some bad place, where sex with her was not fulfilling him. As it was, she knew something was missing.

"Bite me." He did not hesitate for a second when she spoke. Of course, she knew that he enjoyed mixing those two pleasures, but she had not realized how intertwined the two were before.

Those two words were the last intelligible sounds either of them made for some time. Not for the first time, or probably last, Sookie was glad she had no close neighbors. Between the two of them, they could have woken the dead with the cries of pleasure that were loosed almost simultaneously. He collapsed to the side rather than crushing her, and Sookie lay there sprawled out on the bed, too lost in happy buzzing to worry about modesty.

"So what is left to talk about?" Eric spoke from his side of the bed.

Sookie managed to turn her head towards him, apparently her neck muscles were the only ones left that didn't feel like overcooked noodles… in a very good way. "The human in the room is gonna need a minute, if you want a conversation that makes any sense."

Eric rolled over back on top of her. "Then I may have to keep you like this all night." He stroked her cheek softly, drawing away a strand of hair that was no doubt stuck to her glistening skin and tucking it behind her ear. Eric slowly lowered himself until their lips met once again, and where she was sure she had reached her maximum for bliss in a single evening before, her body was telling her she could probably stand a little more. His body was saying the same thing, just a little more visibly.

She moved a single hand to his chest, and he separated just enough to let her speak. "We need to talk before Godric comes back."

Eric sighed but rolled over to free her all the same. The telepath couldn't help but be proud of herself. How many woman could be faced with that and keep their priorities? Well, keep them the second time anyway. No one could have said no the first time.

"Shower?" Eric had perked up at the idea. He knew Sookie loved a good shower after an even better sweat.

"You can't be too… distracting." She warned him while sitting up.

Eric got up before her and stood there at the foot of her bed, hands on his hips in all his bare-naked glory. "I cannot promise that."

Sookie shook her head to try and regain that focus she had found just a moment ago. Unfortunately, he used that time to turn and make his way towards her bathroom, which left her staring after that perfectly sculpted tush. It wasn't until he closed the door behind him that she returned to herself. She could hear him starting the shower, so she took a moment to gather her wits once more.

After all, she was a grown woman, completely in control of her own body and impulses. She was perfectly capable of carrying on a conversation with her boyfriend in the shower. So what if he would be naked with hot, steamy water dripping down the planes of his- This was not a good start. She tried one more time, but she just kept imaging soaping him up.

"You going to join me?" Eric called from her bathroom.

"Oh well." It was said to herself, but she could have sworn she heard Eric chuckling in the other room. Either they would talk or they wouldn't.

The bathroom was already steamy when she came in, and the water was the perfect temperature. Eric moved out of the spray to let her in. The warm water felt wonderful as it swept away the film of sweat that had been left by Eric even in the cold of winter.

Eric was actually the one to begin their discussion as Sookie stood under the shower head with her eyes closed. "I could not tell you. Godric wanted to be the one to let you know that I would not be searching for a cure."

"I figured as much." It explained what she had been feeling from him when she had spoken with him on the phone before Godric showed up.

"He enjoys your reactions," Eric had a rumble of anger in his chest that Sookie had never heard when he was speaking of his maker, "but I am sorry I did not find a way to warn you."

"It's alright. I don't blame you." She looked up at him with a half smile, so she saw when his eyebrow went up in skepticism. "Well, I'm trying really hard not to. I mean, I know that you can't say no to him, but it's tough."

"Turn around." Eric moved her out of the water and began soaping her back with strong hands that massaged as they went. As stressed as she had been, Sookie felt like she could have melted. "I know it's difficult for humans, but I am glad you are trying."

"Well, you're worth it, and plus, I don't have much of a choice."

"That's my Sookie." It sounded like a purr in her ear, he had moved in so close behind her. "He underestimates you."

"Godric?" It was an automatic question, even though she knew Eric had to mean his maker. "How so?"

"He's attracted to life, to vibrancy. I still believe that is why he picked me all those years ago, the way I fought for my own during battle." He moved along with her into the water to rinse off. "It is why Godric, as he is now and how he was before, is drawn so strongly to you. I have never met anyone as alive as you seem to be. Yet for all that, he does not know how much you are capable of."

"I don't understand." She turned back to face him. Nothing that he had just said actually explained his earlier comment, even if they was enlightening in other ways.

"Of all the commands he gave about recovering his memory, and trust me there were quite a few, not one of them involved limiting you. Obviously, he cannot glamour you, but he could easily have given me instructions to stop you."

"So, you can help me find one?"

"Oh no." His voice turned overly serious, but his eyes were dancing. Godric may have put limitations on Eric's actions, but he could not control Eric's mind. It was a comforting thought. "No one must look for a cure, and _if_ I hear of someone doing so, I must immediately put a stop to it."

"Gotcha." So, she could work on her own, she just had to make sure he wasn't involved.

"Now enough talking and more distracting." The still cold shower wall was at her back as Eric went about the business of distracting her. This was much closer to what she had imagined the shower being.

* * *

God help me if the IT department ever goes through my outbox because I type my chapters up at work and send them to my personal address! Hopefully, they would just enjoy the reading, I suppose!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Another shortie, but our first Godric with Eric and Sookie moment. Hope you all like it!

* * *

Sookie and Eric laid happily on top of her bed. The telepath was used to being physically exhausted; she just wasn't usually this happy about it. She could have easily fallen asleep in his arms, if another void had not entered her house. Only two vampires in the world could actually enter her house, three if you counted the progeny of the one with his arm around her. But considering that arm had just tightened protectively over her, Sookie had to guess that Godric was back.

"If you two are done, join me in the common room."

It did not include an 'only if you feel like it' caveat. Experiencing a maker's command through the bond felt close to a vampire trying to glamour her. Sookie could feel the power behind it, but there was no effect on her. Unfortunately, Eric was already out of the bed.

"Go on, I'll come out in a minute." Eric had the decency to throw back on his jeans before he went out. Sookie knew how little nudity meant to them firsthand. She and Eric had enjoyed a long talk when he had gone out to talk with Pam in his birthday suit.

For just a moment, Sookie entertained the idea of just lying in her bed and going to sleep. After all, Godric couldn't order her to come out as well, but the thought of her house guest sending her own boyfriend in to retrieve her, had Sookie putting on some PJs and a heavy robe. She also slipped the thick silver necklace she had purchased earlier into the robe pocket just for her own peace of mind.

Godric was already seated on the couch, and just like the night before, Sookie chose to sit in one of the armchairs opposite him. Eric stood at the fireplace, not sure what to do. This strange Godric was all about the power plays, staring her down. His gaze was domineering but not overtly threatening. Sookie met it once more, steeling her against flinching should he fake a swing at her again.

The ancient vampire's lips curled into that horrid smile when she refused to look away, and he spoke without ever breaking eye contact. "Eric, please come sit with me on the couch."

Her eyes flicked to her already obeying boyfriend and the apologetic look on his face. Godric had shown his superior strength in a very different way tonight, but the lesson was no less potent than the small dent in her wall from his palm. In fact, this one hurt a lot more, but she did manage to shrug at Eric. After all, it wasn't his fault. There must be some sort of Maker-mode that Sookie had never heard of because Godric had requested things of Eric plenty of times in the past and Eric had only gone along with it if they agreed. It was part of what made their relationship so special. Even Pam got away with things that Eric could easily have stopped.

"Very good!" Godric actually gave a single triumphant clap when Eric sat and Sookie returned Godric's smile with a glare. "See how civil things can be between us. If we can work with the _Weres_, I see no reason why the three of us should not get along as well."

"I see one big one." Sookie raised her eyebrows at Godric to let him know exactly who she meant.

"Try to play nice." Sookie couldn't tell if Eric was saying that for her own sake or for Godric's.

"Tell that to your maker."

"I am aware that you see me as a problem, but I hope that will change over time." Godric ignored the interlude.

"Oh, something's gonna change." Sookie's smile took on an uncharacteristically sly slant.

Eric's eyes widened in alarm. Clearly, he did not consider that playing nice, but she was trying to ignore him as much as possible. The more she focused on him, sitting on the couch with Godric like he had already chosen sides, the angrier she got. _It's not his fault. It's not his fault._ The thought was becoming a mantra in her head. Being angry around Godric led to her saying stupid things.

"I see you are still determined to bring back my memory." His sigh did not match the glee in his eyes. Did he secretly want her to succeed, or was he_ that_ excited by the prospect of watching her fail? Considering his actions so far, probably the latter.

Rather than acknowledge his statement, Sookie leaned back into the armchair, trying to look relaxed. Sure, he could threaten her, but what could he really do? If she didn't involve Eric, Godric would have no way of finding out about her digging. He couldn't glamour other Supes, and she wasn't about to involve humans. In the end, he would only know if she succeeded, or failed trying. At that point, she was going to have some tough decisions to make anyway.

"I had hoped that you would see the futility of any attempt, but it will only be a waste of your time. I have cut you off from any help you may have received." Her eyes flitted to Eric who was resolutely keeping his mouth shut. This was such a terrible position for him. She put on her best Crazy Sookie smile. Godric might be conniving now, but he still had to sleep by day. "Your loyalty is almost endearing really, but I would remind you that I am still Godric."

"And if I were gonna live a few thousand more years, maybe that would do me some good, but unless you have some serious change of heart, then you ain't you."

"Because I took your blood?" The primeval vampire seemed mystified by her possible reasoning. They both ignored the small growl of anger that left Eric. It was odd that such an imposing figure could be so thoroughly ignored, but Godric was controlling him. He didn't need his verbal support, and at the moment, Sookie couldn't depend on him. So, she didn't really feel like remembering he was in the room.

"Because you didn't just lose your memories, you lost your family." She had this feeling like Eric was trying to calm her, but she was much too far gone for that to work. Later, she would be happy to have discovered that the bondy thing really didn't work all the time, but not right then. "Family, relationships, and his ability to recognize those ties, that is what defined Godric. You can't see that. You know Eric is your son, but the significance of that is lost on you."

"Perhaps I should become a Maker once more to try and remember." Sookie saw Eric tense ever so slightly beside Godric, or maybe she just felt it.

"I wish you'd try." Sookie withdrew her hand from the pocket of her robe, the silver chain wrapped around her hand like brass knuckles.

"_Sookie_." It was a warning; Eric was angry at her and scared for her all at the same time.

"You realize I could simply have Eric restrain you." Godric was obviously not rising to her bait, and she still had enough good sense to be glad for that.

"Yeah, and you just proved my point. Are you done gloating? Because this human could use some sleep." She wasn't actually tired at all, but she couldn't sit there anymore.

"You are dismissed." They both knew she hadn't really been asking permission, but the vampire-body-snatcher was enjoying it all the same.

"Sookie?" Eric looked about as unsure as he ever had. It made her feel terrible because she knew how bad he felt about it, but he could not even stand up to tell her goodnight. It was all just too much.

She risked getting close to Godric for one moment, silver laced hand safely in her pocket. "Eric, I love you." The 'but' attached to that statement hung in the air between them even as she kissed him on the cheek. He stroked her hair sadly but did not hold her there. While she sympathized that this was difficult for him as well, it wasn't enough to get to her stay in the room and let Godric use her own boyfriend against her.

For the second night in a row, Sookie stalked out of her own living room and into her bedroom, angrier than a hornet's nest at the vampire still sitting on her couch. She wrapped the silver chain around her doorknob for good measure. Sure, he could kick it in, but that would be much less sneaky.

The telepath laid in her own bed in her new silver armor and stared at the ceiling. She knew when Eric left, not long after she retired. She even knew when Godric left. Part of her thought about going back out to try and reclaim her house, but she would just have to return to her room when he got back. So far it was the only safe haven in her own house.

When the Bible said not to let the sun go down while you're angry, it must have been because the writer knew a vampire would just come along to piss you off more once it was dark. Sookie managed to fall asleep eventually, but it definitely wasn't peaceful.

* * *

The next morning brought a very unexpected guest.

"Morning, Alcide. Wanna come in for some breakfast?" Sookie couldn't help but be a little excited. If he was here, then maybe she could ask for his help after all. The idea of going to Colonel Flood had scared her just a bit.

"Sure." He didn't sound quite as pleased at the prospect of food as she thought he would, but then, it was still early. She hadn't been able to stay asleep any longer once the sun was up.

Sookie threw an extra egg into her scramble while Alcide helped himself to the biscuits she had already put out on the table. She had frozen half of the last batch and just reheated them when she wanted one.

The Were looked very on edge as he eyed every corner of her kitchen. Did he think something was going to pop out at him?

"He here?" Alcide finally asked.

"Who?" Her confusion was reasonable, but the look on Alcide's face didn't agree. "Eric or Godric?"

"Either, I guess."

"Yeah, Godric is, but he isn't in the fridge, so you're safe." He was grating her nerves with his angry jitters. It had already been a long night, and now he was acting more riled up than a Were on the full moon. "Shit!"

"What?!" His chair knocked over as he stood up, one hand holding a biscuit, the other clenched to punch.

"It's the full moon tonight, ain't it?" She had lost track of time after the witch incident.

"Damn Sook, you can't be doing things like that." His anger was understandable, but now she was going to have to come up with an excuse to go to Jason's tonight. "Yeah, it is."

"Sorry, just another thing to worry about."

He sat back down when she spooned eggs onto his plate, but he still wasn't happy. Then again, he'd been pissed since he arrived, so it wasn't a big change. Usually, he would have asked what was wrong, or what she had to worry about. Normally, there would have been some sort of conversation, but he just sat there eating.

"Why're you here, Alcide?" All excitement had left her, and she was suddenly worried.

"Colonel Flood sent me as a representative of the Pack, since you know me already."

"That don't answer my question, and you know it."

Alcide set down his fork and finished chewing the eggs he had been shoveling in. He might have been angry, but he was still a hungry wolf-man facing an inevitable shift that night. "I'm here to explain a finer point of your status."

She knew that behind his contractor exterior was a businessman, but he had never sounded quite so remote. This wasn't good. "Like?"

"While we are bound to protect you from external threats, the Pack will not intentionally endanger itself by interfering in associations you willingly make unless your well being is in immediate danger." That sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

"Dumb it down for the blonde in the room."

"We're not helping you with Godric."

That one took her by surprise. "What? Why not?!"

"Apparently, your boyfriend's daddy met with Colonel Flood, said you might be coming to us for help." Alcide pushed himself away from the table and from her. "He also said your life was perfectly safe, but that if we helped you, he would hold the Pack responsible. He can control Eric, which means he controls Eric's vamps. We saw what they can do, and as much as I hate to admit it, we don't want any sort of showdown with 'em."

"But if we can cure Godric, then it won't matter." She knew

"And if we fail, the Pack suffers." Alcide rose from his seat with an air of finality. "Sorry Sook. You made your bed on this one, now you're gonna have to lie in it."

Sookie sat in shocked silence while Alcide turned to leave. All the anger she had built up bubbled over when he turned his back on her. "You'd find someway around that if Debbie hadn't died trying to kill me."

His entire body shuddered in her doorway, and Sookie was afraid she had gone too far. He stood there until the shaking stopped. "Maybe so, but your boyfriend made sure we'll never find out." She heard her front door slam moments later, but she never left her seat. She had thought he only hated Eric, but it appeared that he blamed her too.

This was going to make things significantly harder. Without help from the only other Supes she knew… her stomach dropped. If Godric had been smart enough to contact Colonel Flood, then who else had he talked to?

Sookie ran to her home phone and dialed up Merlotte's. It was delivery day, so Sam would be in the office already.

"Merlotte's Bar and Grill." His voice sounded much more friendly than Alcide's, maybe there was hope yet.

"Sam, you got a minute?"

"Oh, Hey Cher…" He already sounded apologetic.

"You too, Sam?"

"Me too?"

"I just had a visit from Alcide to explain the Pack wouldn't be helping with my vampire problem."

A few muttered expletives came across the line, followed by a sizeable pause. "Well, he can be mighty convincing."

"What'd he threaten?"

"Nothing actually, just reminded me of Merlotte's standing in the community, that he is living with you, hat I got a woman of my own to look after. For never actually giving a threat, I gotta admit, it was pretty intimidating."

"Sam, I can't do this on my own." She felt like she could cry. That son of a bitch had thought of everything.

"I know, Cher. And I want to help, only, I don't know what to tell you either. I only know one witch, and she's barely a practitioner, definitely not up to the level of magic you need done_. If_ it even can be. I'd hate to get her mixed up in all this. You know I'll help you any way I can, but I got to be real careful's all."

"Yeah, thanks Sam." She hung up rather than listen to any more.

It wasn't that she didn't believe him. She knew good and well that he would do what he could, but now she felt bad asking. Sookie would have felt the same way about Alcide's situation, eventually. If he hadn't been such an ass about it. Godric had effectively isolated her from all help with her own conscience. Maybe he understood her a little more than she had been giving him credit for, not that it left her with the warm-fuzzies. She was back to square one. Worse than that because at least she had imagined some help before. Now, it was just her.

Sookie wallowed for about another hour, then decided that was enough. She started by cleaning the kitchen, her breakfast practically untouched. Godric would not be returned to himself by her crying in her kitchen. Plus, she still needed to find some reason to get over to Jason's for the night. Maybe she could visit the library again. Luna and Sam were always talking about the way that Supes connect on the internet, maybe witches had something similar?

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, another Jason scene... hopefully, the last one I have to write (no, I'm not killing him off) then things start to roll again. I hate writing Eric this way, but the poor guy is kind of useless right now!

Let me know how you all feel about it (or anything else) in a review!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's either Charlaine Harris's or Alan Ball's.

* * *

"Remind me again, why you're here?" Jason said as Sookie made her way to his kitchen with groceries.

"To cook dinner for my brother." Sookie busied herself pulling out the pots and pans she would need, banging around a little more than necessary in an attempt to end the conversation. It was easy to cook at in this kitchen as she knew exactly where everything was already in his kitchen, even if she never cooked here. He had not moved anything from the place their mother had chosen for it. Luckily, it was still too cold out for grilling, so she had an excuse not to send Jason outside into the waiting arms of the full moon. The steaks would just have to be pan seared.

"Yeah, but why didn't I come to your house?" He waited until she had quieted down, missing the reason behind the ploy. Her brother didn't look great, which had Sookie worried, but it wasn't the jittery, angry look that Alcide had worn earlier. Jason just looked pale and a little tired. Maybe it was different for bitten Weres. She probably should have gotten a little more information on the process, but time had gotten away from her.

"I told you, I just wanted it to be us, and Godric will be up soon." Her smile was meant to be reassuring, but the mention of Godric's name made it falter. He didn't need to know that anything was terribly the matter. "Speaking of which, would you do me a favor and un-invite all vampires. We have… an unexpected baddie in town, and I'd rather not see him here."

"No can do, Sook." He was looking at her with that pacifying smile you give a child when they say something cute but impossible.

"And why not?" He didn't usually question her when it came to the freaky or supernatural.

"Godric said you might try this."

"I thought you didn't remember drinking with him the other night." Sookie's attention was called back to her cooking when the green beans boiled over.

"Nope, still don't remember most of that, but he came over last night, said you two were fighting. I'm surprised, though. You're my sister, and you know I love you. But Godric's my friend, and I can't believe you're trying to drag me into the middle of this." He said it so dismissively, Sookie could feel her face burning. And it wasn't he heat from the stove.

"This?" Her voice hit a new octave as she struggled to keep her rage in check. "What exactly did he say _this_ was?"

"I know it's hard that he's spending more time with Eric, but really Sook, it's a complicated relationship." Sookie tried to articulate, but no real words left her lips as her brother stood there in judgment of her for breaking up the father/son duo. "The steaks are burning."

Sookie violently forked the slightly charred meat onto a plate. "Go turn on the TV, dinner'll be ready in a minute." There probably wasn't much juice left in the steaks to really rest, but her potatoes weren't done reheating in the oven. This was definitely not going to be her greatest meal ever, but she was so pissed off, she couldn't muster any emotion close to caring. This Godric was a real ass hole.

The information that Godric had influenced her own brother against her, had Sookie on high alert, which is the only reason she knew when a member of the Two-Natured nation approached the house.

"I left something out in my car," she called to her brother, "be right back."

"Take your time, and let me know if we just need to order a pizza. It takes them a while to get out here."

She clenched her fist at her side. Jason had no idea what was going on in her life. He was just being… Jason.

"Should be fine." The words escaped through a jaw as tight as her fist, but he waved it away, already engrossed in some sports game. He was acting very nonchalant for someone who could turn into a half-man-half-wolf creature at any time.

Outside Jason's house, she was surprised to find Calvin Norris looking as anxious as she anticipated a Two-Natured on a full moon. "Mr. Norris, wasn't expecting to see you here." His gold eyes shone in the moon light as he slunk out of the yard lights and into a shadow against the house.

"If Jason turns, he will be our responsibility." The idea did not bring any joy to the older man.

"Well, I gotta tell you, at this point, I think he staying human. He's in there sitting on the couch with a beer and not a freaking care in the world." Except the happiness of her new arch nemesis. "I'm sticking around just in case, but I'm pretty sure you're free to run."

"Oh." Calvin did not sound nearly as excited about not having a bitten-Were loose in Bon Temps as Sookie had thought he would. In fact, he sounded concerned. "Then, I'm afraid I've got to insist on talking to him." Calvin didn't mean a discussion on the weather.

"I don't think that's a good idea Calvin; it'll only confuse him."

"Sookie, I know he's your brother. I don't intend him any harm, but I need to make sure my people in Hot Shot are safe from him mouthing off." Apparently, Calvin had heard about her brother. It had been the exact same concern she had felt not even a week ago.

"I understand Calvin, but he won't remember you. All he remembers is breaking it off with Crystal."

"He get amnesia?" Sookie appreciated that Calvin attempted to curtail the cynicism in his statement, but she knew he didn't really believe her.

"Of the vamp induced nature, yeah."

"You had him glamoured?" She wasn't quite sure if that was horror or admiration in his voice. The two sounded similar in the breathy tone of his surprise.

"I didn't _have_ him anything. Just having a bit of a miscommunication right now." She wasn't sure how much information the Two-Natured in the community shared, but if Calvin didn't already know about Godric, she didn't feel like explaining.

"I see. I'm not gonna lie, that's a weight off my shoulders."

"Figured as much."

"Sookie? You still out here?" Sookie whirled around to see Jason standing in the doorway with a puzzled expression.

"I can explain!" Her mind was racing to come up with words to follow that because, really, she couldn't. At least not without some pretty bold-faced lies.

"No need. Everyone blows off steam different, but it's a little cold to be out here talking to yourself, don't ya think?"

Sookie looked back over her shoulder to where Calvin had once stood, but now there was only darkness. "Yeah, you're probably right. The potatoes should be done. We can eat now."

"I'll grab the plates."

Sookie thought she saw two golden eyes watching her from the forest behind her brother house. "Happy hunting, Mr. Norris."

Jason already had his plate and had plopped back down in front of the TV. She had planned for them to have a nice sit down dinner in the dining room, but the night was so not what she had expected that she decided to just fly with it and joined him on the couch. The steak was tough, the green beans were mushy, but her brother was still human, so she swallowed it all and tried to smile. All things considered, it was a good night.

Dinner passed in relative quiet, besides Jason's random exclamations of triumph or denial that strung along the basketball game they were watching. LSU was playing, usually, Jason preferred watching them play football, but regular season was over. After a particularly impressive 3-pointer with only minutes left in the second half, he stood to cheer, his shirt sleeves falling down.

"Jason, what's that?" Sookie's voice was deathly quiet as she pointed to her brother's arm.

"You of all people should know what that is." She ignored the barb from Jason as she pulled him down towards her. It was much too easy, and she was pretty sure it was because of the two puncture wounds in her brother's forearm.

"Jason, did Godric bite you?" Blood loss would explain why he looked so pale.

"Well, you aren't feeding him anymore, so you can hardly blame him for looking for other sources. It's your fault really."

Sookie dropped his arm like a hot coal, but Jason hardly cared. He turned back to the TV, unaware of how deeply his words had wounded her. Godric had not only turned her brother against her… he had feed from Jason.

She was going to kill him. The thought settled itself in her mind with an resoluteness she had not thought she would find. The option had been in the back of her mind since she had reminded him that she knew where he slept, but she had kept telling herself that she could never go through with it if there was a chance of saving him. She would wait till morning, once he and Eric were asleep. It would be easy enough at that point, one good stake and this would all be over. Sure, she would have to clean up afterwards, but better that than finding her brother's body one day.

Eric probably would not forgive her for this, but at this rate, Godric might well kill Jason. Or, at the very least, estrange the only family she had left in the world. Her Godric was not coming back. Sam had pretty much said so, and no matter how confident Eric had seemed, Sookie had no idea where to turn for help.

If it came down to her family or this aberration of what Godric _used_ to be, Sookie was choosing her family. She loved Godric, but this being in her friend's body was not Godric. He had irrevocably proven that now. Surely, the real Godric would have approved of her decision had he known what he would become.

"Holy shit, she's hot." Jason's comment shocked Sookie out of her dark thoughts and brought her attention to the bawdy commercial for a strip club in Shreveport.

Two gorgeous dark-haired twins who were identical except in gender were inviting both sexes down for a good time. Something seemed so familiar about the almost alien beauty of the two on the screen.

"Claudine!"

"You know her?" Jason was obviously excited by the prospect of an introduction, but Sookie was much more taken aback to realize her fairy godmother was a stripper.

"It's a long story." Sookie chuckled to herself as the address and phone number for Hooligan's popped up on the screen. It was probably the first real laugh she had enjoyed in days.

"What's got you in such a good mood all the sudden?"

Mentally, Sookie shelved the dagger that had been intended for Godric. Maybe there was hope after all… Sookie was going to Ladies' night!

* * *

A/N: I know these have been getting shorter and shorter, but my time is no longer my own at work, which is where I do most of my writing. It's either get a short section every week, or wait two or three for several sections all together. If you think you'd prefer that, let me know in a review and I will lump things together before I post them.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: For those of you who have read all of Harris's works in the SVM mythos, you may recognize some characters in here from the short story "Fairy Dust." While I do not plan on actually writing that particular one-shot, (in my head) I have drastically altered the course of events by Sookie's visit. You might pick up on a little bit about that just by reading. If you want any guesses confirmed or questions answered, feel free to slip it into a review!

Disclaimer: Not mine, Harris/Ball's.

* * *

Sookie was in Shreveport long before night settled, even though the club, Hooligans, would not be open until then. She had considered asking Tara or Arlene to join her, but then, this wasn't a fun girl's night. Sookie was on a mission. Rather than sit in the parking lot, she had driven around for much of the evening, grabbing a bite to eat by herself and avoiding the part of town which housed Fangtasia.

As usual, Eric had called her when the sun was finally down, but she had ignored it. He would no doubt know she was close with the bond pumping his tracking ability full of steroids, but he also would know that she wasn't in danger, which probably explained why he did not try to contact her again when she didn't answer. Now, she just had to hope that Godric assumed that she was with Eric and didn't do any investigating himself.

She had called ahead to see if the twins would be at Hooligan's. Apparently, the commercial had made quite a splash because she was on hold for a while and the woman who finally answered her question was obviously tired of explaining that Claude would be at Ladies Only Night, but that Claudette (Sookie thought it was weird that Claudine would have such a similar stage name) didn't strip for Ladies Night. It made sense, but Sookie couldn't help her disappointment.

Sookie had thought about waiting until the next night when Claudine was sure to be there, but every time Jason had pushed back his sleeve the night before, she had been overcome with the need to do something. If that something wasn't killing Godric in his sleep, it had to be getting Claude's help to find Claudine. She kept trying to remind herself to be happy that Jason wasn't a Wolfman, but the relief was so minor compared to her other problems, that it was hard to focus on the positive.

She thought about Alcide when she passed the restaurant they had met at just a week before, but that didn't help anything either. He had been a royal jerk… again, and she was getting pretty tired of that particular back and forth. If he wanted to salvage some sort of friendship, he would have to make the move. Though at this point, she wasn't even sure if it was worth it.

Luckily, being early to this particular show was the norm judging by the parking lot. It was already filling up with cars by the time that a woman came out to open the doors. From her thoughts, the woman was human and pissed off, even if she was smiling over the crowd of women. Sookie shut her out; the telepath wasn't there for someone's anger issues.

Sookie filed in with the other giddy ladies, in no real hurry to get in herself. She was still going to have to find a way to get to Claude, which probably wouldn't happen till after his set. From all the mental and verbal chatter, it would be quite a show in the mean time.

"Just one?" The voice came from the ticket booth outside the club, taking Sookie by surprise. She had been so absorbed in the busy minds around her, she had not realized it was her turn.

"Yes, please!" Sookie looked up from her purse into the most gorgeous brown eyes she had seen. The last time she met Claudine, circumstances had been a little grim, and she had not been able to fully appreciate how beautiful the fairy was.

"What?" The fairy in the glass box asked the obviously stunned telepath.

"Claudine, it's Sookie." Wasn't it odd that someone who was supposed to protect her didn't recognize her? Now Claudine was looking pissed off. Maybe she didn't like Sookie seeing her at her place of business.

"You want my sister. I'm Claudette." It was said with the exasperation of someone who had been mistaken for someone else their entire lives.

"Oh, sorry… wait, y'all are triplets?!"

"Yes. Now, are you going to buy a ticket or not? There are plenty of woman who'd like to spend their money to see my brother." The bouncer behind her was listening but trying to act disinterested. Women spending money on Claude was somehow significant to him, which was odd in a strip joint.

"Hold on!" Women were pressed in around her, upset by the delay that had them standing in the cold parking lot. "I _know_ about you."

"I seriously doubt that, sweetie. Buy a ticket or buzz off." There was nothing sweet about this fairy. She could have taken lessons from Claudine on being personable.

"Claudine's my… godmother, and I really need to speak with her." Claudette was eying her skeptically, as if trying to read a book in a different language.

"Why's the line not moving?" The angry lady from earlier made a stormy entrance into the booth and was staring daggers at Claudette. She was not a small woman, but her complicated outfit had rearranged most of her bulk into a pleasant shape that probably did nothing to calm her.

"There was a little misunderstanding, _Rita_." The disdain in Claudette's voice was not tempered with any of the usual coworker niceties.

"Well, take care of it!" The feeling was definitely mutual, and Sookie felt a little uncomfortable watching the exchange, as did the bouncer judging by the way he was shifting behind them. He had been utterly still until that point.

"I was just about to, before your fat ass came barging in."

"I swear to God, I will-" Rita had her hands out in front of her as she imagined choking the fairy.

"What? Kill me? You wish. Fire me?" Claudette remained unperturbed by the unspoken threat. "Go ahead, it'd make things so much easier."

Rita was picturing some other very not nice things, but the image of Claude and some money signs finally made her turn around and leave with an angry huff as a good-bye. Sookie had never seen a face that red before.

"It's fine now, you can go on through." Claudette informed the telepath as if nothing had just transpired.

"But I-"

"I'll be in the ticket booth all night, but Jeff here will tell Claude to see you for a private meeting."

"Like hell, I will. Claude doesn't do private shows" Jeff did not like the idea of his Claude meeting a girl. "His Claude" came through very clear, along with a few images Sookie had not expected of the burly man. Well, that was disappointing.

"He will for her, Jeff." The lilt of her voice taunted poor Jeff with its suggestion. "Oh for god's sake Jeff, this is Claudine's goddaughter. It's a family thing."

If he found that confusing, he didn't mention it, even though the two women were roughly the same age. Instead, the bouncer walked off, leaving Claudette alone in the room and grumbling about the uppity stripper. Sookie hurried to catch up with him, not wanting to face the wrath of Claudette herself. She didn't blame Jeff for not saying any of the things he was muttering to Claudette directly.

"It really isn't anything, Jeff. I just need to talk to Claudine, their sister."

"Now, Claudine is a sweet girl. Claudette must have missed out on that gene."

"I kind of get that feeling too." Jeff deposited her at a small table near the stage, and Sookie settled in to wait for the show.

She had never been to a strip club before, and the first act up reminded her why. Barry Barber (his name was announced over the pulsing music) came out in a pirate's costume, complete with an eye patch. He was a good looking man, but maybe sex with Eric had ruined her for other men. His motions seemed awkward in comparison, and worst of all, Sookie could read his thoughts, which she quickly blocked out. She had never met a stripper before, and the hero worship complex he had going mixed with greed was more than she wanted to delve into.

The women around her were enjoying themselves immensely, loving the chance to cut loose as much as the chance to look at some scantily clad, well toned men. Under different circumstances, she might have been able to let her hair down as well, but she was much more focused on the problem at hand than Barry's 6-pack.

Claude was up second, and Sookie wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing to realize she was not immune to other men's charms. Claude moved with a grace Barry had not possessed, and even though he was clearly enjoying himself on stage, Sookie only got the static buzz Claudine and Claudette had given off. Fairy thoughts were off limits. Even knowing that Claude liked kissing faces with more stubble than any woman could manage helped the show because there was no chance of things being awkward with him. It was like looking at a well formed statue, you could appreciate its beauty without worry.

He was one of those men who knew that he looked good and liked being appreciated. He looked exactly like Claudine and Claudette only without the graciousness in Claudine's eyes or the spite in Claudette's. Instead, he looked… confident.

Dressed as a cop, Claude was an obvious favorite judging by the cheers of the women in the room and the number of large bills stuffed in the small underwear that were the only part of his costume that remained… that and the handcuffs which the table next to her took in exchange for a twenty. He probably went through a lot of those.

Sookie became momentarily concerned when Claude came over to her table and straddled her legs. A statue definitely wouldn't have done that. He kept up the show as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Meet me by the dressing rooms, right past the bathrooms during Brad's set."

Sookie nodded and handed him a five dollar bill rather than slip it in his thong. That would have been too much. Gay or not, that was the closest she had gotten to any man besides Eric. Claude was chuckling at the blush on her cheeks as he headed towards the next table calling him over. It was a little amazing that he was able to walk off with all the woman hanging on to him, but he dodged out of the clinging limbs with smiles and winks, all the while collecting more money. No wonder Rita pictured his face with dollar signs.

Brad was up next, another human Sookie barely noticed. Maybe that was the problem, after all, she wasn't _interested_ in Sam… or any other tall, dark and handsome Weres who was also a asshole sometimes, but there was definitely an attraction that she did not feel for Cowboy Brad or Captain Barry. She even found Chow attractive, but the sense that he would kill her at the drop of a hat outweighed any appeal.

Before Brad made his way down from the stage to mingle with the crowd and collect his tips, Sookie made her way past the bathrooms to the "Employee Only" door. She was not the only woman standing there, but luckily, Claude stuck his head out to wave her in. Otherwise, she would not have had the courage to push past the other expectant women.

Sookie followed him as they made their way towards the dressing rooms, glad to see he had thrown on a robe. It looked as though there was only two doors in the narrow hallway besides the exit with its glowing red sign and the thick curtain that muffled the music coming from the stage. The doors were labeled "Chicks" and "Dicks". How quaint. A couple other male strippers (all human) were hanging out near the men's dressing room doorway, no doubt waiting for their sets.

"What's that noise?" It was faint over the music, but she could still make out a buzzing sound as they approached what had to be the girl's dressing room.

"Barry, we need the room." Claude barged into the women's dressing room, his confident stage presence quickly turning haughty.

Sookie whirled around rather than look at the girl who already had her pants down and Barry standing over her with an electric razor. Apparently, his name was Barry Barber for a reason.

"Hey, jack ass! I'm working here!" If this was his work, Sookie didn't want to know what he did for fun.

"Yeah, well, I'm meeting my sister." Sookie didn't need to read his thoughts to know Claude thought his own needs were above any others.

"Claudette?" Barry had completely forgotten about the girl in the room and was suddenly picturing Claudette. Seeing Sookie behind Claude, he was creating all sorts of scenarios with the three of them in a dressing room, where Barry subbed in for Claude, of course. It took everything in her not to slap him.

"Claudine. Now, out. I'll put in a good word with Claudette." It sounded like a major concession on his part, but that was all Barry needed to hear.

"Sorry, sweetheart, session's over."

"What? I don't understand... I want my hundred bucks back!"

Sookie watched Barry push the girl out the door and past either Claudette or Claudine. It was hard for her to believe that someone would pay for something like that, and Claud-whoever was shaking her head as well. At least she wasn't alone in the world

"I'll let you two talk then." He'd made that big a fuss, and he wasn't going to stay. Perhaps Claude favored Claudette more than Sookie had originally thought.

"Claudine?" Sookie asked as the tall woman joined her in the room full of women's fantasy costumes. The gracious smile that lit the fairy's face confirmed it. "Claudine!"

Having made no conscious decision to, Sookie found herself hugging her godmother. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"I think I have an idea." Her voice chimed with laughter, and Sookie felt better already, good enough to separate herself from the woman.

"Things are a mess, why haven't you shown up and done the fairy godmother thing?" Sookie waved her fingers to indicate magic.

"Sookie, you are living with a vampire. I could not exactly show up unannounced. You saw how he reacted to my scent. Next time, I may not be so lucky."

"It's not like it's my choice." Claudine lifted one elegant eyebrow, and Sookie backtracked. "Well, not entirely. There's coercion involved."

"I am sorry for your situation."

"Thanks, but I was wondering if there was anything you could do to reverse it."

The fairy led Sookie over to the plastic chairs by the long table. It must have been where the girls got ready because the entire wall behind it was a mirror. Turning the chairs, Claudine took Sookie's hands in her own. Sookie laid out the basics of her situation. Sure, Claudine had saved the day when she showed up with good advice in the nick of time, but the telepath wasn't sure how up on the details her fairy companion was.

"The vampire, he has lost all his memories?"

"A few thousands of years…"

"That's a serious spell. I can make someone forget a day at most, and we have stronger magic than humans. It would have taken an entire coven to do such a spell. It would be a hard thing to undo." She explained all this with the patience of a mother trying to explain to their child what the fish floating at the top of the bowl meant.

"So you can't?"

"I do not believe so, and if I tried, I may leave him worse off than he already is." Sookie knew that she should be devastated by this, but the calm that radiated from Claudine had filtered through to her. A rational part of her brain pinged on the idea that it was kind of like the bond, only she didn't mind. It was better not to freak out. If nothing else, she could probably get the one, single most important question answered.

"Can _anything_ be done?" The telepath's eyes were closed in anticipation of the answer. If a magical being, who could make lip gloss appear at the exact place needed to save her life, told her it was hopeless, wouldn't she need to accept that? If she accepted that, didn't that mean giving up hope on Godric returning to her? And, in turn, protecting those she loved the only way she knew how?

"I know someone who should be able to help. His magic is much stronger than my own."

Sookie's eyes flew open with real hope. "Do you think he'll help me?"

Claudine looked deep into Sookie's eyes, searching as Claudette had earlier, only Claudine's gaze did not make Sookie want to run. "I believe he will."

"Can you get him here?" She looked around the strippers' dressing room and realized the absurdity of that question. No way would some powerful fairy magician come to a place like this, and Claudine's laughter confirmed that.

"He will have to travel here, so it cannot be tonight. I will contact you tomorrow by phone with a meeting time and place, that should be enough time."

"Is he on the West coast?" Sookie asked, wondering if she should offer to buy the plane ticket or whatever he would need to get there.

"No, in fact, in a way, he lives very near you."

"Monroe?" It seemed odd that any sorcerers would choose to live in her area, but then, witches had tried to take over Shreveport. There was really no accounting for Supes' tastes.

"Sometimes, I forget how very human you are." Claudine's musical laughter clashed with the bass of the music that was driving through the walls.

"I can't." Surrounding my gorgeous fae, people who turned into animals, and well, vampires, it was becoming easier to feel normal even with her little quirk.

Claudine clasped her charge in a hug, dragging the other girl out of her chair. "Take care of yourself, little one. This will all be over soon."

"Thank you Claudine!" She tried not to let those words resonate within her, but one way or another, it would be over soon.

"After all, it is my job to keep you alive!"

For some reason, the fact that her fairy godmother had just said alive instead of safe said more than anything. Sookie did not blame her; it would be near impossible to keep _anything_ from happening to her, but her life wasn't exactly a fairy tale either. Sure, Eric looked like Prince Charming, but things were way beyond being fixed by a kiss. Although, to be fair, she hadn't tried it yet.

"I need to go make arrangements, so I will not see you again until tomorrow night. Stay alive until then!"

"I think I can manage that." She gave Claudine one last squeeze. She had survived a couple decades, what was 24 hours?

Claudine got up to leave when Sookie remembered something. "Claudine, tell your sister to watch out for her boss."

"Rita?"

"Yeah, she has it out for Claudette."

"I know they have their differences-" Maybe being a fairy godmother or whatever made you see the good in people, but Sookie had a much more up close and personal view of those around her.

"Trust me, Rita _hates_ Claudette." Sookie tapped her skull. "I know hate, and your sister's done something to set that woman off. I wouldn't trust her as far as I can throw her." Which was, in fact, considerably farther these days thanks to a little vamp blood left in her system.

"Thank you. We will be on the look out."

With Claude and Claudette on the lookout, Sookie was suddenly worried about Rita instead.

* * *

A/N: Who's the mystery magic man? Will Godric find out before they can do anything? Will Eric be forced to put an end to Sookie's scheming?

Tune in next week for answers to (some of) these questions! Actually, it might be two weeks, taking a trip to Nashville next week!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I know I have said this before, but this fic is winding to a close here soon, and I do not believe I will be writing another. Just like last time, I do not have any inspiration for a further sequence of events. Not to mention, Eric and Sookie are no longer the interesting dynamic in my opinion. While I still see them as a couple, I think it has become quite clear that I enjoy the interplay between Sookie and Godric much more. I have no intention of writing an S/G or even an E/S/G fic, but poor Eric has definitely been relegated to the backseat. Hopefully, you all have enjoyed this short ride as much as I have, and if you would like, you can always follow me as an author to see if I post anything else. The final book will be coming out soon, which may bring unforeseen inspiration. Also, I very seriously doubt I will be posting fics of any other kind, so I would not be clogging your inbox with notices for a new Glee fic. (Sorry if I offended any Gleeks)

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Thank you so much for your readership! The fact that so many of you not only read all of my stories but took the time to review has meant so much to me!

"Sookie, is that you?"

"No, it's the big bad wolf…" She whispered under her breath.

Of course, Godric would have known it was her before she had even entered the house, and he should have known that she would know he was home as well. Which meant, he just wanted to audibly remind her of his presence. The idea of staying out all night had been tempting, but she had finally decided against it rather than raise suspicion. A quick stop at Jason's house, and she had still made it home at what vampires would consider a reasonable hour.

"Did you have a good time with Eric?" Godric remained in the other room.

"Don't I always?"

"You would not lie to me, would you, Sookie?" He sounded knowingly smug. No doubt he had spoken with Eric already.

"Absolutely!" It hadn't actually been a _lie_, but the sentiment counted.

She felt him move to the hallway near her even as she headed for her own bedroom. "Where were-"

His words cut off abruptly right before Sookie's head hit the floor. Godric was straddling her waist; despite his small stature, she hips were secured to the ground by his legs. His fangs were prominent as he eyed her neck with a smile.

"Get off!" She tried to push him, but he pinned her arms to the floor above her head. His hand held both her wrists like a vice, which was the only reason she had not slapped him. If only she had worn her bracelets, but she hadn't been sure if silver affected all Supes or just Vampires and Weres, she had not wanted to seem rude.

"You're un-" Godric's mouth attacked into her own cutting off her words. He kissed her so forcefully, her head was trapped firmly against the floor until she could no longer move, much less finish rescinding his invitation.

When he broke away, his free hand instantly came to replace his lips. Even if she had still had her wits about her, she would not have had time to speak. The kiss had been exactly like him, strong, demanding, but utterly detached. He had required her silence and had chosen the course of the action that would affect her the most, and he had chosen well.

Sookie wanted to spit, brush her teeth, taking boiling water to her lips. Anything to get the feeling of him off them, but his hand was still covering her mouth.

Unperturbed by her struggles, Godric leaned down for a slow, dragging breath. Knowing this reaction was probably due to a lingering scent of fairy did nothing to alleviate her anger. Apparently, her shower at Jason's had done little to relieve the smell. She had even borrowed one of his shirts.

Which Godric was currently using his fang to pop the top button off of, exposing the lacy bra beneath it. Did he simply want better access to her neck than the collared flannel provided? It didn't feel that way. If this new attitude was meant to play on her fears, he had picked well. Sookie had not felt so incredibly vulnerable in years. Sure, he had taken her blood before, but she had walked outside into his arms. It had been a forced choice, but it had been hers. Her current situation brought her back to her childhood and an uncle she had all but forgotten. Godric had no interest in her as a woman, right? The way he was watching her collarbone did nothing to cement that idea in her head.

Sookie could feel him moving in closer, agonizingly slow after his show of speed. A hiss escaped his lips as he almost touched the silver wrapped around her neck. No doubt it had been hidden underneath her shirt before, but the new threat seemed to bring him back to his sense a little. Or at least, he didn't bite her as she had been sure he would.

He leaned back only enough to look in her eyes, gauging her reactions. She knew even without a mirror that her eyes would be wide and frightened. She wanted to try for pissed off, but that had simply been too close a call. It wasn't clear what he was waiting for, but he finally seemed to see what he wanted before he spoke rationally for the first time since the scent hit him.

"Let us not be hasty. After all, you are attempting to do something against my will; I was only… returning the favor." She had thought in this instance, he would sound a little repentant. He had obviously crossed the line this time, but he just looked as calculating as ever. The telepath looked away rather than stare in those colds eyes any longer.

"So clever, to go to your fairies." She tried to turn her head as his thumb stroked her cheek, but she could make no other movement besides her ever thrashing feet. "Did they give you anything?"

She looked to glare at him then for the stupidity of asking her questions when she was unable to respond.

"Ah yes. If I remove my hand, do you promise not to rescind my order?" He paused only for a moment's consideration. "But then, you have already said you would lie to me, so let me say this. If you rescind my invitation, I will spend the night at Jason's house. Judging by this shirt, I would say you just came from his house. With the smell of fairy in the air there, well, I believe you can understand how I might lose control."

She had thought that she was incapable of being angrier than she had been when she found that Godric had been using Jason as a bloodbag, but it wasn't true. Pure hatred coursed through her veins, all directed at the small vampire on top of her. Sookie hated him for his threats, for what he had already done to Jason, for the situation he had placed her in, for being the mockery of the real Godric he was, but most of all, for knowing how to force her hand. It overwhelmed her earlier fear.

Though abhorrence that was no doubt spewing from her eyes, he must have seem some hint of her resignation because he removed his hand. "Very good, now let us try again. Did they give you anything?"

"No." She informed him through gritted teeth.

"Pardon me, if I do not take you at your word." He used his free hand to pat down all available areas, never looking away from her eyes. Every show of power before now felt so innocent in comparison with his questing hands.

Angry tears had formed in her eyes, but she could do nothing past glare at him through the collected salt water. His tongue scraped across her cheek as he licked away the droplets that had rolled down. She tried to head butt him, but he moved away too quickly with a satisfied sigh. No doubt she would be bruised in the morning, but Sookie still struggled for all that she was worth against him.

"You make it very difficult for me to keep my word when you try my patience. My son would be very disappointed if I broke it." A single hand beneath her chin stopped the small thrashes she had managed before. Choking herself was not high on her list of things to do. "Resistance only makes it so much sweeter. I can see why Eric enjoys you so much. You know, he told me about your first night. How you had refused him so many times before; how a little taste of his blood sent you over the edge."

"I hate you." It was a simple but heartfelt statement

"I know. I think that would make having you all the better. So strong-willed, yet so fragile." He looked much too pleased when Sookie's breath caught in her throat. "Did you know that your scent becomes so much more pungent when you are afraid? Very tempting really; I am sure it would be an experience. But then, what does a vampire have if not his word?"

Even without his memory, Godric still felt himself bound to some code… albeit a twisted one. In this instance, she was grateful for it. She wanted to sigh in relief, but he was still straddling her, making it a little early for that.

"Now that you know that I am true to my words, hear this. I may not be able to stop you from meeting with these fairies, but if I smell them on you again, and it is not a scent easily masked, I will take that as an open invitation. If you bring someone near me who I so much as believe could be distantly related to a fairy, I will drive an iron dagger through their heart. Do not test me in this, Sookie. I have indulged you thus far because I enjoyed watching you fail so glorously, but eventually, you will force my hand. You will only have yourself to blame for whatever happens then."

"Justify it to yourself however you like."

"For now, I think it would be best if I spent the day elsewhere to give you time to think through any rash decisions." Considering the way he was looking at her throat, she thought perhaps it was to keep him from making any rash decisions of his own. "I will return tomorrow to see if we can discuss things rationally."

With a look of reluctant restraint, Godric let her go, stood up, and left through her front door. Unsure of her ability to walk after that ordeal, Sookie curled into a ball on the rug in her hallway and cried. Not just a trickle of tears, but those great sobs that require a person's entire body. At this point in her life, Sookie was oddly used to the death threats that seemed so a part of her job. It was impossible not to be acutely aware of her mortality while surrounded by vampires, but nothing had scared her as much as Godric just had. At least against Gabe, she had stood a chance. With an ancient vampire even if he couldn't glamour her, she would have been completely helpless against anything he decided to do.

She had been a child once again but without any Gran to save her.

It was almost worse that she could not read his mind. Had he been a human, at least she would have known if he actually meant what he was saying, or if he was simply trying to get in her head. Either way, he definitely knew all of her weak points now, and what's more, she was pretty sure he wouldn't hesitate to use any of them.

Her wits returned to her when her door crashed open, and Sookie hopped up from the floor faster than she had thought possible to make a run for her room and the silver inside. If Godric had decided to go ahead and break his word, she planned to give him hell. But she wasn't fast enough. Strong arms encircled her, pulling her back and pinning her arms to her side. Rescinding his invitations would do little good if she was pulled outside with him, so she swung her upper body, letting the chain around her neck swing free and hit the figure behind her.

The hiss of flesh was oddly satisfying, as was her immediate release.

"Sookie!" That was not Godric's voice. "Sookie, it's Eric."

She turned around to face him, seeing the ugly welt her necklace had left on bit of her chest that was exposed above his tank top. He reached for her once more, but she backed up arms wrapped around herself for comfort.

"Don't touch me!" She hadn't really meant to yell at him, but it came out harshly.

"Sookie?" The hurt was apparent in his voice, and she tried to calm herself.

"Not right now… I can't- just don't do that again, alright?" He wasn't Godric. She even knew she loved Eric, deep down inside, but the thought of being restrained in those arms, even in a hug, even for comfort… she could not handle that.

"Did he…?" She felt her own hatred for Godric amplified and rebounded by the bond. It was good that her boyfriend would hate his maker for that. Sookie had needed to know.

"No."

"Alright." Eric got his emotions in check and began… pushing calm at her? There was no other way to describe it. Like laying a child's blankie over a forest fire, it wasn't nearly strong enough to soothe her. He had tried it a couple nights before and it hadn't worked either.

"Stop doing that!"

"Fine." He was holding his hands up to show his acquiescence. "What _can_ I do for you?"

"I just can't have you hold me right now." She wanted to explain, wanted not to hurt him as she held herself together.

"I am not going to hold you. Just stay there for a moment. I will be right back." She knew he left the immediate room, but she wasn't sure where he had gone. Her mind was too muddled. She did realize that he had just busted into her house where he might have expected to find his maker doing who knows, but Sookie wasn't exactly sure what he thought he was going to do. Was it still the thought that counted?

"Sookie?"

Despite his obvious attempt to not frighten her, she jumped as his voice invading her thoughts. "I'm not going to hold you, but give me your hand, alright?"

When his fingers went to intertwine intimately with her hand, she snatched it away, so he took her arm softly instead and lead her to her bathroom. The hot water falling from her shower had already started to fog up the mirrors. Eric had laid out fresh towels next to the shower.

"I'm going to leave you in here, call me if you need me."

Sookie stripped as soon as Eric left and vaulted into the scalding shower. Grabbing a loofah, she scrubbed every inch of her body until she was stinging. Every place Godric had held her was sensitive, further proof of his loss of control. The thought of what might have happened had she not been wearing her necklace kept playing over and over in her mind. She had never seen him like that before. Would blood have been enough to satisfy him?

Eric found her sitting underneath the cascading water long after the hot water heater had given up. Without waiting for any protestations, he turned off the water and covered her in a towel. Sookie made no move of her own, only watched the last dredges of water as they escaped down her tub's drain.

"Sookie, I'm going to touch you again." She looked up at her boyfriend, sure that he was looking for a response. When Eric finally lifted her free from the cold bath, she did not even try to resist. All fight had left her sometime during the shower.

She could feel Eric's anger peeking through his overly calm exterior as he quickly and efficiently dried her off then took her back to her own bed. He tucked her in but laid on top of the covers with only a single arm lightly placed over her. It was all so incredibly sweet, she started crying all over again.

"You must have him worried." Eric whispered gently.

"I don't see how." Her voice was in that annoying stage after crying where every word is followed by a halting breath.

"He thought he had cut off every avenue, but I guess you thought of something he did not. I learned long ago how very surprising you can be. Godric forgot that along with everything else."

"Thank you, Eric, I needed to hear that." It didn't make everything instantly better; it did not erase her night, but it did remind that she had a plan. That the real Godric would hopefully be back soon. Either that or… well, he could give her all the time in the world to calm down, but if he ever tried to sleep in her house again, he wasn't waking up.

"Eric, you realize that things can't stay this way, right? I mean, he isn't going to let me go…"

"I know. We will deal with that if we have to, just… please try to find a way for now. I want things the way they were."

"Me too. I love you, Eric."

"I love you too, Sookie. Now sleep." This time she allowed him to lull her. She was exhausted, and the dark of sleep was the perfect escape. He wouldn't be there when she rose, which was good because she had plans to make.

* * *

A/N: This section took a very unexpected twist as I wrote it, but I think it kind of makes sense in a really twisted way. If you all are trying to figure out what the hell just happened, this was a chapter getting away from itself. It just flowed so well while I was writing it. Just a natural progression in Godric's mind games really. Actually, I'm not even sure how much of that was his games and how much was him actually losing control. Hopefully, we will not be exploring this any further for Sookie's sake.


	17. Chapter 17

Sookie sat in the parking lot of the restaurant trying to get the last few strands of her errant hair tucked away. Even with her brand new car, she felt surprisingly out of place amid the upper class sedans that surrounded her. She didn't even recognize some of the hood ornaments that graced their fronts. Luckily, Claudine had mentioned that their meeting place was upscale. Since Sookie couldn't barely even pronounce the French restaurant's name, she had gone to Eric's house first to pick out an outfit from the clothes Pam placed in her closet. She had her own key, so she didn't even have to bother anyone. Besides, everyone was dead asleep anyway. It was a quick in and out, but she was grateful to be able to go to the meeting looking the part, if not feeling it.

Not wanting to keep a powerful fairy waiting, Sookie had arrived early. It was one of those places that didn't even deign to open for lunch, so she had gotten there before some of the wait staff. She watched everyone filing in, grateful that the meeting was an early dinner, giving them a couple hours before the sun set. She wasn't sure if Godric would come looking for her, but she had no intention of being near a fairy when or if he did.

Finally, Claudine showed up, looking resplendent in a white pant suit. Sookie envied the woman's lithe figure. Godric had been convinced that Sookie was part fairy, but if all fairies looked like the triplets, then they were a whole different species. Her Fairy Godmother waved Sookie over to join her.

"Should have worn heels." Sookie whispered under her breath as she went to stand next to the tall woman.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Fairy hearing must be good.

Claudine wrapped Sookie in a hug, even kissing her forehead. The telepath had considered asking the fairies not to touch her, but if whoever the mystery fairy was couldn't help her, then Godric could come after her all he liked. In fact, it would be better if he were a little crazy, like the night before. It would give her a chance to use the extra silver chains she had purchased earlier. No way was he feasting on this human. Not without roasting like Babe at a pig pickin'. Plus, this fairy was extremely touchy feely, so she wasn't even sure Claudine would have been able_ not_ to touch her. Even Claude had put his hand on the small of her back the night before to steer here. Maybe it was a fairy thing.

"Should we go in and wait for him?" It was an attempt to get Claudine to let her go. The hug had lasted long enough.

"I would imagine he is already here." The older woman sounded quite confident.

"I don't think so. I haven't seen anyone remotely fae-ish go in." Claudine seemed amused by Sookie's assessment.

"Only one way to find out." Claudine had taken Sookie's hand and was practically dragging her to the building. The human was walking double time just to keep up with the long, easy strides of her counterpart.

If the hostess was surprised to see two women with no family resemblance holding hands here in the middle of Louisiana, she hid it well. Instead, she looked at Claudine with the same expression of mild envy Sookie had no doubt been wearing earlier. Odd, that it made her defensive when coming from someone else. The object of envy did not even notice as she smiled at the hostess.

"We are here to meet…"

"Ah, yes, that gentleman is expecting you. Please follow me."

"Guess I must have missed him." Sookie looked around, trying to pick out who might be a fairy, but finally settled on using her other powers to find him. The room was a buzz with human mind chatter, a single Were she had noticed earlier in the black slacks and button down of the waiters, the strange frequency coming from Claudine beside her, and a matching mind tucked away in a back corner.

It was hard to see him in the dim lighting these places always employed as "mood" lighting. Any place else, it would just be dingy. The male fairy stood as the ladies neared. This man had not come through the front entrance; Sookie would have noticed. She had expected some sort of old wizardy-looking fellow with a long beard like you always see in the movie. He wasn't even carrying a cane that she could see. To be fair, Claudine had only said his magic was stronger; Sookie had just assumed that meant he was old.

He was as tall as the triplets with the same basic physique, almost androgynous in his beauty. He was easily as attractive as Claude but not quite so otherworldly. She was amazed that so many human women could stare at Claude all night and not realize there was something different about him, other than the fact that he shared their taste in men. This man still had that other-ness to his movements, but it was not as pronounced. When he nodded to Claudine, the tips of his pointy ears showed through his dark hair. Did the triplets have ears like that? She had never noticed, and with Claudine's long hair down, she couldn't tell.

It was hard to say what color it was exactly, both fairies' hair looked black in this lighting.

"Claudine, it is good to see you. It has been too long." Something about his words rang false.

"It has. Thank you for listening to me." There was a slight strain to her voice that Sookie had never heard before. "Fintan, this is Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse, Fintan Brigant."

"Mr. Brigant, thank you so much for meeting me!" She had no idea what the proper title for him would be but decided to stick with Mr. to play it safe. Sorcerer Brigant just sounded funny.

"Please call me…" He stopped himself from saying something, his eyes flicking to Claudine who shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Call me Fintan for now."

"Alright, Fintan." There was obviously something that she was missing, but Claudine didn't look concerned. And if you can't trust your fairy Godmother, who can you trust, really?

"I'll leave you two to it." Claudine said as Fintan pulled out a chair for Sookie.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Sookie tried not to sound frightened; she really did trust Claudine's judgment on this. However, the thought of being left alone with some voodoo fairy was a little scary.

"Fintan is here to meet with you, not me. Let me know when this is all over, and we will catch up." Claudine must have spent a lot more time among humans than Eric or Godric because she used modern turns of phrase much more naturally.

"Sure." Sookie plopped down in her seat just as Fintan pushed it in for her. This was going to be interesting.

The telepath was spared any attempt at small talk as the waiter promptly arrived for their order. Fintan ordered for them both, which annoyed Sookie even though she would have had no idea what to get if he hadn't. Still, he could have asked. She fiddled with the stemmed water glass in front of her as the thoughts of the humans around her filtered in. None of them were paying her or her companion any mind. Not that she was so conceited as to think people should be interested in her, but it was hard to imagine Fintan walking into a room and not garnering_ some_ attention.

When she finally looked up, Fintan was staring at her. Rather than be impolite, she asked the first question that came to her mind.

"How do you know Claudine?"

"We are related." He offered no further explanation as he watched her face.

"Like cousins?" Her own cousin had died not that long ago, but they had been close to the same age.

"Fairies live for a very long time without showing much age, so our family trees are much more extended than the human way of thinking." If he realized he had not actually clarified, he didn't seem to care. He just studied her. Sookie tried to stare back, but his gaze was so intent, she finally gave up.

"What?" It sounded harsh after the silence, but he smiled all the same.

"You look like her, especially your eyes."

"Her who?" People had always told her she favored her dad.

"Adele. She had the most beautiful eyes."

"You knew Gran?"

"A very long time ago. I was so sorry to hear of her passing." He reached across the table, his hand coming to rest on her own as softly as a glove.

'Passing' sounded so much nicer than her violent murder at the hands of a sociopath, but the sorrow in his eyes was genuine. Sookie decided to leave it alone. "Thank you. Did you know her because she was part fairy?" The whole thing was really a stab in the dark, but if this guy knew her family, it would make sense. Plus, how else do you explain randomly gaining telepathy. There had no radioactive spills near her house. The fairy part might have been from her Grandpa's side, but if she was going to guess anyone in her family was supernatural, it would have been Adele.

"What?" Fintan looked genuinely taken aback by her question. Maybe the fairies didn't know she was possibly part fairy.

"Just something a vampire told me. He was pretty convinced that I was part fae. He's pretty old, so I guess he might know." She didn't really like calling that vampire Godric, if she didn't have to.

"You are, of course." He paused as the waiter filled their flutes with wine. His demeanor was much recovered by the time he continued. "It is the only way you could have a… fairy Godmother, as you all are wont to call them." 'You all' must have meant humans.

"I didn't know that. Claudine never said."

"I am sorry that you ever needed to know you had one at all. Your life is complicated enough without fae involvement. Most humans are not quite so difficult to look after."

"Most humans can't read minds. By the way, if that's a fairy thing, why can't I read your minds?" It had been bugging her ever since Claudine poofed into her house, but she hadn't had a chance to ask.

"We are magical beings, but telepathy is not one of our powers."

"Oh…" Well that un-explained so many things she thought she had solved. "But Gran really was part fae, then?"

"The question of your blood line is really a discussion for another day, when there is time to properly explain."

"Okay." That sounded pretty foreboding, but he did have a point. Daylight was wasting, and if he could do something magicky, they still needed time to perform the spell or whatever.

"Claudine has already told me all about your situation, so there is no need to repeat it." There was an edge to his voice, as though he were unhappy with her 'situation.' Truth be told, she wasn't too happy about it either.

"So, is it possible to do? Can you give him back his memories?" He studied her a moment longer as she waited with bated breath for his reply.

"First let me ask you, if I could give you a fresh start, break your bond to these vampires and make it so they could not find you, would you take it?"

The question took her completely by surprise, but she took the time to think it over before responding. After all, she knew good and well how much her life had changed since Eric had discovered her power. If she could get away from the politics and the power plays, wouldn't that be a good thing? She would just be Sookie again… Crazy Sookie, who couldn't even stand to kiss a man.

Plus, would that mean leaving the home she had worked so hard to keep? Moving away from her only family? Leaving Eric?

No, as ridiculous as things were at that moment, Sookie intended to stick it out. After all, if she could get Godric taken care of, things could go back to normal. Well, her version of normal. She was quite happy with her little hodge-podge of a family.

"I don't think I would."

Fintan looked genuinely saddened by this news, but he squeezed her hand as if in reassurance. "Very well. I believe I can restore this vampire's mind. Tell me, did your vampire save the witch's body, the one who originally cast the spell? Or some of her blood, perhaps?"

"Don't think so. I can't imagine Godric woulda been too keen on that, and I can't really go around asking for Hallow's body right now either. It wouldn't go over well."

"I see. Well, that complicates things." Sookie did not like the sound of that, but Fintan was already speaking again. "I could lay the spell on him directly."

"I don't think that's such a good idea either. He threatened to kill anyone he even suspected of being a fairy."

"I can hold my own against a lunatic vampire, if need be."

"Maybe," she really didn't think so, at least not with Godric, "but if you just kill him in self defense, it won't really help things."

"There is always time during his day rest."

"Except I know for a fact he can wake up early because of his age or whatever. What if he woke up when he realized you were hoodooing him? Isn't there something you can do that will keep you far, far away from him?" She felt a strange connection to this fairy, maybe it was simply his willingness to help her out.

"Most fae magic is done by contact. However, there is a way for me to lay a spell on an object. A bit of representational magic, but it comes with its own impediments. The spell would have to be laid on a cup or a bowl, and then the vampire would have to willing drink from it."

"Could it be a bottle?" Sookie was thinking of the TruBlood she had stashed in her fridge.

"The vessel does not really matter. I have even used a fountain in times past. It simply needs to be a container from which a person… entity might drink." To fairies, vampires must not be people. Sookie wasn't exactly sure where she stood on that issue.

"I guess we could try a bottle of synthetic. Only you said he has to drink from it willing?"

"Yes, in order for it to work, it must be of his own volition. He need not understand the meaning behind it, only wish to drink. The act symbolizes taking something back within yourself."

"That may be a problem… he refuses to have any synthetic stuff. He pretty much only drinks straight from the vein." She sat very still as something struck her.

"Sookie?" Concern was thick in Fintan voice as he stroked her frozen arm.

"The vessel, you said it can be anything that holds liquid, right?" Now, Fintan was sitting just as still as she was, his hand tight around her forearm. "Right?"

* * *

Gotcha! Y'all thought it was gonna be Niall! Good to know I still have some tricks up my sleeve.

Please remember that Niall does not appear until _From Dead to Worse_, which is four books after the one I am currently paralleling, and he only appears because Fintan was killed by the two evil brownies (or whatever they are) and could no longer keep his father out of Sookie's life. So really, Niall couldn't show up even if he wanted to.

Also, I am pretty happy with this chapter. In lieu of further fan fics, I have thought about doing several mini-epilogues, one of which would be Sookie spending more time with Fintan.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: This is a really short chapter… with absolutely no dialogue. I thought about dragging this on a little more, but I thought it was appropriate to show how quickly things can change. There will be one or two chapters after this, but that will be it from me.

Thanks to you all for sticking it out with me!

Disclaimer: All recognizable Proper Nouns belong to either Charlaine Harris or Alan Ball and are not intended for financial gain on my part.

* * *

Waiting was always the worst part. Once Sookie had finally managed to get Fintan to agree with her plan, which took quite a bit of doing, everything moved quickly. The spell seemed almost too simple, just a lot of talking in a language she didn't understand, some laying of hands like an anointing service back home and all this in the privacy of a locked restaurant bathroom.

After an enthusiastic hug and a cheek peck from the sorcerer, they parted ways. The telepath was a little surprised by how far the sun had sunk in the sky. It was almost sunset, but it hadn't felt like they had been in there for more than thirty minutes really. Logically, it made sense considering they had enjoyed dinner, talked about her life a little (the fairy must not have spent a lot of time around humans because he was very interested), and then had time to complete the spell.

Nothing felt different at first, but then she noticed a change. It was like this heavy feeling in her limbs, as if she were wearing a heavy coat. It covered her entire body making her movements sluggish and everything felt weighed down. No doubt thousands of years of memories were an impressive load to carry, though she wasn't sure if she had Godric's memories, or just all the potential that came with the spell.

Fintan had explained that magic was rarely quite so literal in the fairy world. He had been impressed with her interpretation of the spell, and she felt a connection to the fairies for the first time as his eyes gleamed in something akin to pride in her twist. It obviously had hurt him to admit that about anything that required a vampire to drink from her. According to her magician, a single spell could be used in a number of different ways. This particular spell was more to discover what was lost than a memory returner. She had asked what would happen if another vampire drank from her. He told her they might find their lost keys.

She honestly could not tell if he was cracking a joke or being serious, but the thought had not put her at ease, and she had done an extra mental sweep of the parking lot before going out to her car. She currently smelled like… vampire crack and had no intention of running into any random ones between the restaurant and her home.

It was a good thing that Godric had not stayed in her house, or he, no doubt, would have already been waiting when she got home. She also knew he was not at Jason's… she had checked, which limited the places he could stay in the area. As always, she wondered if he stayed at Bill's abandoned house when he was not in her guestroom closet, but she had no intention of sneaking into that creepy house even if she had known where his day rest room was located.

The sun had well and truly set, but there was still no sign of Godric. That's when her mind really started working overtime. Maybe he had stayed with Eric the night before and had to come all the way from Shreveport. Or maybe, he intended to give her all the time she needed and did not plan to come over tonight at all. She couldn't exactly call him for an itinerary. Was there a time limit on spells? Fintan hadn't mentioned that it would wear off. What if Eric came first with her smelling like fresh fairy?

This was dumb… she should have just let Fintan perform the spell during the day. Sookie could have banged her head against the counter as she poured herself a glass of water. True, should something have happened to the fairy, she would never have forgiven herself. On the other hand, what were the chances, really? She could have let someone else take care of it, this time, but no. The telepath had once again made it her responsibility.

If she survived the evening, she was really going to need to talk to someone about her complex. Not that she could see a psychologist. Her parents had made her see the school counselor when she was a kid… that woman had been very messed up. It probably took a certain amount of crazy to do that job, but she didn't need someone else's messed up thoughts in her head while she was trying to sort through her own. Maybe there was a vampire psychologist out there… that would be interesting. Hannibal was probably based off of one before they announced their existence.

Of course, Sookie knew that her mind had wondered off onto a tangent, but she couldn't very well sit there and dwell on what she was about to do. Maybe she really was Crazy Sookie. If it hadn't been Godric… but he deserved her help, the real Godric anyway. The best thing she could say about her current housemate was that he had stopped. It was such an odd thing really, and as much as the previous night had made her hate him, she had found an upsetting sense of respect slinking its way into her view of him. After all, he could have done whatever he liked, but even in the moment, he had showed restraint and a desire to keep his word. Or maybe she just took seeing the best in people to a dangerous extreme.

Her Gran had been like that.

For a telepath, Sookie got caught by surprise way too often. It wasn't until she got up to get more water that she saw Godric standing in the doorway. She had planned a whole speech. Had thought to reason with him because, she had thought, he would be suspicious after so explicitly telling her what would happen if he smelled fairy on her. She had decided against taking a shower, hoping the smell would keep him off balance. She was not quite sure how to ensure a vampire bit her, having spent most of her last year trying to avoid it. And she certainly wasn't going to do anything like what usually got Eric in the mood for a nibble.

All of her preparation flew out of the window when her glass dropped to ground in her surprise at Godric entrance. Shards of glass sprayed across the room, some dragging across the skin on her legs, leaving small trails of blood in their wake. Sookie watched his deep brown eyes dilate until they resembled a shark's more than a humans', then he was on her.

It was horrifying to find out that even with all she had seen and felt from him since he lost his memories, he had been holding back the entire time. She only knew he had moved because of the explosion of stars that entered her vision as her head hit the kitchen floor. Her bones felt like they might snap as his hands crushed them.. Only then did he slow enough for her to follow his movements. Catching her eye, the way Eric always did while they were being intimate, he slowly lifted her wrist up to his lips.

She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, her eyes flitting open and closed, but his gaze was holding her to this world. Then, it was no longer his eyes tethering her to the present but pain. Pain, that demanded her attention, as his teeth shredded her wrist.

One second, she was screaming on her kitchen floor; the next, she was lost again. Lost in someone else's world as entire lifetimes passed before her eyes in a whirlwind of images. She had enough presence of mind to wonder if Fintan had ever mentioned the cup exploding during this process. Every vein in her body burned as it tried to feed Godric what he had lost.

Vaguely, she knew that Godric was still with her, still holding her arm, but now it was as someone clings to the railing of a tossing ship, to let go would mean being lost completely. She had no idea how long they lay there. After all, even in fast forward, skipping through generations of endless night, there was so much to see. The rise and fall of countless kingdoms, the ever changing landscape, the evolution of humanity. Godric had been there for it all, and Sookie watched it through his eyes. She saw his real family (his first family), his maker, Eric, even Pam, and numerous other faces she did not recognize, but the events were jumbled, the timeline blurred together.

Her mind could not keep up. She knew a lifetime was being relived, but she could make no sense of it all. It was not meant for a human. Any mortal body would have settled into dust over those years, and even living it vicariously, Sookie felt herself fading. Her body couldn't cope with the overload, and she had the distinct feeling that had vampire blood not already been swimming in her veins, her system would have given up the struggle long ago. She didn't blame Fintan for not warning her. How could he have known how this would affect a living cup?

She was fairly certain that Godric had stopped drinking her blood, but it didn't matter. Sookie was distinctly aware of her heartbeat. It had been thrumming like the wings of a hummingbird, vainly trying to keep up with the new demands, but it was slowing now. The stuttering gait of a body overcome with exhaustion. It could only go so much farther before collapsing.

The kitchen floor was surprisingly comfortable. The shards of glass she had landed on top of no longer dug into her back like spikes. This was a good place to lay down for a while. She welcomed the darkness of unconsciousness with open arms. Godric would be restored to himself now; that was good. Eric would need him now. She was only sorry that she would not be there to see the triumphant look on his face. He had known she could bring the real Godric back, and she had. It was good that Eric was not here now. He would have tried to save her, and that might have hindered the spell.

No, it made sense that things would end this way… giving her life for a friend. What greater good could she do? A smile visited her lips as the blackness overtook her.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Now, the real fun begins… (or ends, really).

* * *

Awareness came in the form of pain, everywhere. Sookie wanted to laugh from joy (surely, were she dead, it wouldn't hurt anymore), but a groan escaped her lips instead. Without opening her eyes, she was fairly certain that she was lying on some soft surface that was not her kitchen floor, and despite the splitting headache, she was also certain that she was not alone.

She half expected Godric to run over to her once she had awoken. She had no doubt that he had done something to save her because she had been completely aware of her impending death when she closed her eyes. Maybe he simply did not want to touch her past having moved her away from the blood and broken glass of her kitchen. Really, it would be just like Godric to fall into self-loathing after all this. Did he remember everything? She could hear nothing from his head, but then, the vampire blood he had most likely given her was probably working so hard to keep her alive that it could not boost her telepathy as well. On the brightside, it would be good if she didn't get loopy like last time.

"You should not move too much."

Sookie's head turned slowly to the voice, and she could feel her hair sticking to the pillow below her. In the madness of earlier, she had not realized her head was bleeding. It made sense, considering how hard she had gone down. She wanted to sit up, to go to him, but that was currently beyond her.

"Godric?" Her voice was a hopeful croak of his name.

"You forget, I have always been Godric, just not as you remember me."

For a long moment, she just stared at him, trying to see her Godric. There was nothing calculating about his gaze, but he was not staring at her with the love of a family member as he should be, a father figure and brother all rolled into one small package. A single great sob tore through Sookie's body, a deep ache settling in over every part of her that was far beyond the beating it had just taken. All that.. all that, and he had not returned to her.

"Please do not." He was suddenly looming over her, his hands fluttering as if afraid touching her might break her. "Please do not cry…"

"Get out of my room!" She was proud of getting out a complete sentence and the fire she managed to put into it, despite the intermittent cries. But he only leaned farther in over the bed in response.

The eyes that found hers as she shrunk into her covers were neither cold nor tender. Simply confused. Not quite her Godric… but not quite _him_ either. "I find it very unsettling when you cry." His words were soft, unsure.

"Where's Eric?" Everything was very confusing. She needed her boyfriend here, and he should have known to come, shouldn't he?

"Regrettably," he looked like he meant it. "I asked my son to stay away for the evening so I could manage you. He is as close as my order will allow him. Usually, I am quite good at getting my way, but I did not realize how much I had underestimated you… and your love for me."

Another sob left Sookie, unbidden, at his words.

"Please..." A great red drop splattered across her face before she was gathered up into his arms.

"I don't understand." She desperately wanted to push away but did not have the strength to do so.

"Neither do I, entirely." He sounded so lost that she could not help but think of her Godric. She tried to shore up her heart against the softening that had begun. "Was it real?"

"What?" His question made her defensive.

"The things you showed me. Were they real, or just a conjuring?" She wasn't sure if he sounded hopeful or just frightened, but she began to wonder if he was toying with her. It was a very convincing act, if so.

"The spell was supposed to return your memories, can't you tell now?"

"You, obviously, know more than I do about what you did, but when I… drank your blood," The words were oddly strained as if he did not want to admit he had attacked her. "I was shown a life, my life, if what you say is true."

"It was your life; I saw it too. How can you not know?" She was getting angry enough that she finally attempted to push away from him. This was not her Godric, the imposter was still in her house. He allowed her to back away, though she only managed to get far enough to prop herself against the headboard of her bed before the burst of energy left her.

"It was as if-as if I was watching one of your movies. I saw life through his eyes, experienced it all in scene after scene." He paused, looking for words.

"I saw it too, _your_ life." She left out that it was still hard for her to piece it together, hoping the reminder of the connection might snap something into place.

"And do you believe you are Godric now?"

"No, of course not… It wasn't my life. I just saw what you did." Any other day, she might have seen the connection he was trying to draw, but not then. Not until she had spoken the words and saw the knowing smile on his lips.

"Precisely. I will not say I am unaffected by what I saw." Judging by the trail of a red tear that lingered on his cheek, Sookie decided that was an understatement. "But it does not feel wholly mine."

Sookie knew that tears were streaming down her own face, but she would not let the sobs overtake her, more to spare herself the added pain of movement than anything else. Fintan's spell had worked. It had returned his memory without returning Godric. She sat there, her blouse now saturated with blood and tears, hoping that any moment, she would see a light bulb come on, see her Godric shining through the eyes that were staring back at her.

"I am sorry."

The words sounded alien to her ears, not heartfelt as Godric's apology would have when he remembered everything that transpired but still genuine.

"For what?" The question was full of venom, disbelieving of his ability to feel regret.

"I realize now how much he… I meant to you. Eric had told me, but I did not think a human capable of feeling that way towards a vampire, not really. I believe it is why I pushed you as I did, to see the depth of your devotion. I am sorry that after all your great effort, this is what you get." For all his stumbling through it, the words rang true. The real Godric would have been beside himself with grief, but she would not have thought the vampire who had tried to kill her not moments ago would have been capable of even this much.

Not her Godric… but not quite _him_ either.

"You said you were affected. How?" Sookie thought she saw him flinch at her question.

It was odd to watch him struggle for words. "When you-when _we_ watched Buffy, did you not cry for the Vampire Slayer when she lost her love, Angel?"

"Yes, but it wasn't like that… for us." His eyes brightened just slightly when she said us.

"I know it was different, but so much more real. Even watching through his eyes, the love, the acceptance you showed… it is overwhelming." His voice broke a little at the end. This was more what she had expected.

After all, if he Godric had returned… Oh God, if Godric had remembered! In her haste to bring him back, she had not considered the consequences for Godric before. After everything he had put her through, not to mention, Jason, Eric, and those around her he had threatened. How would Godric have responded? He would have indeed been broken.

Not her Godric…

"So, you think you care about me know because you watched a TV show of Godric's life?"

"It is not that simple." She waited a little more patiently for him to answer this time. "I understand you better now, and I think I may understand myself better as well. My draw to you before; I think I wanted that love even then but did not know how to get it."

… not _him_ either.

It made a horrible twisted sense. She had never really understood his obsession with her. It went way beyond desire for her blood. Eric had thought that he was attracted to vivaciousness, and maybe that was partly true, but Godric's word struck her. Desire for affection and approval, that was the Godric she knew.

"So what now?" The all important question.

"Could your fairy friend could erase the memory of my deeds over the last week?"

Had this new Godric just made a joke? "The real question is would I let him?" She did not feel that actually needed to be answered.

"And I suppose there is no real chance of starting over."

"No." She said firmly. Too much had transpired for them to shake hands and re-introduce themselves to each other like some romantic comedy.

"Then I expect we start with my moving out."

"That would be best." He looked stung by her words, but she kept her eyes hard. Repeating to herself: _Not my Godric. Not my Godric._

"What I saw, Sookie… I know it will never be the same, but things were so happy. I believe-I would like to try. No reparation can be made, of course, but could time begin to mend?"

Her breath caught in her throat, though she knew he had heard it. This was an entirely new Godric. The capacity, the desire for acceptance, those things felt like her Godric, but it was mixed with_ his_… determination? She saw none of the brokenness that had always lay just underneath Godric's surface. The vampire that sat on the edge of her bed looking for hope, may have regretted the things he had done, but not who he was. He was momentarily out of sorts, but she had no doubt he would recover himself.

"I, honestly, don't know." She had meant to say no, but it hadn't come out.

Although she was loathe to admit it, this new personification of Godric was stronger somehow. She realized now that Godric would have been covering himself with silver or waiting for the rising sun by now had he come back to himself with the full realization of his actions. It would almost have been cruel to bring him back really, something she should have considered before performing the spell. Hindsight and what not.

Sookie instinctively knew this Godric would not require a suicide watch. Maybe this was as good as it could get. After all, she would have felt pretty desperate herself had her brash decision caused Godric as much pain as it could have.

"Thank you for that. It was more than I should have hoped for, though much as I expected." Yes, he understood her now, and it was exactly what was expected of her.

It would never be like it was. He was right there, but for Eric's sake, for Jason's sake, and for the sake of the love she once had for her mish-mash of a family, Sookie knew she would try. Things had never been normal in her life, so there was no normal to return to. Her life was always changing, and she had no reason to expect that to stop anytime soon. For now, she would roll along with it. If this new Godric proved to lean too heavily towards _him_. Well… there was always that stake behind her headboard.

Despite all his trangressions, when he smiled at her, it was too much like her Godric's smile not to melt a little inside. Not _her _Godric, but closer…

* * *

A/N: I know you were all concerned that Godric would kill himself had he remembered what he did to Sookie, which was too true. But in her haste to bring him back come hell or high water, I honestly did not see the thought occurring to Sookie. Luckily,_ I_ had thought about that ages ago. I like to think of this Godric as a compilation of the better parts of his old and new self. Confusing, I know, but I hope at least a little believable, in a world with fairies, vampires and weres.

To me, this is a happy, like Sookie said, maybe this _was_ as good as it could get, considering the circumstances. When I decided to curse Godric and play with this dark side of him, I knew that things would change drastically because of it. To me, this is definitely better than killing him off, whether by her hand or by his own. Hopefully, you all can enjoy this finale as well.

It has been an absolute pleasure writing these, and thank you all so much for your support, reading and reviewing my little tale of woe. It is kind of hard to believe that I am leaving off now after over a year of writing, but I promised my best friend I would focus on the original piece of fiction we are writing. For now, I am signing off.

If inspiration strikes and I can't help but return, I will make sure to put a little update here to let you guys know.

**Thanks again for everything!**


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